The Bear and the Lamb
by Cornsilk
Summary: What exactly is the pursuit of happiness? My pursuit of happiness, was one word and one word only, Edward. Or so I thought... A Emmett and Bella story. WARNING: REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND SEXUAL CONTENT.
1. Much needed trip

**I do ****not claim or own any Twilight rights, characters, and terms associated with the Twilight franchise.**

**A/N**:** I would like to remind you as a reader, that this is in fact a FANFICTION story. I as a fan am writing the characters as I feel fit to my ideal characters. Their will be themes, and content that will not match that of the books/films. JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.**

Rated M for sexual content, and strong language.

**WARNING:**_ REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS_

**Author:** Jenny V.

**Edited/Beta:** Jazleen R.**  
**

**A Emmett/ Bella Story**

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

What exactly is the pursuit of happiness? For some, the search is continuous. Others think they have found it, and never actually realized that it was the beginning of something better to come. My pursuit of happiness centered around one person only, and that person was Edward Cullen. Or so I thought.

After another exhausting year at school I needed a release, and leaving Forks with the Cullens was the perfect outlet.

"Char-Dad…please, stop. It's been two years now, trust me...Edward's not going to hurt me." I held out the can of pepper spray he had packed into my duffel bag, but he pushed it back into my hand.

"Bella, it does your old man some peace."

"Fine. Whatever," I sighed, tossing it back in with my clothes. Charlie had never forgiven Edward for hurting me when he left, and he now acted as though Edward would try to hurt me physically. Needless to say, it was frustrating, but there was really no point in trying to argue with him. I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. The appearance of my hair was the least of my worries; I wasn't exactly dressed in any formal attire. I was wearing my pajamas, which consisted of black bottoms and a white tank top.

"Now remember, Bella, you call me whenever, for whatever." When did he become so over-protective?

"Dad, I'll only be gone two weeks. And Edward's whole family is going. Dr. Cullen will be right there just in case I manage to break all the bones in my body or something," I attempted to joke; sadly enough, we both knew it was very possible.

As always, when the weather became nice, the Cullens went out on "camping trips." This time I was invited. It all seemed too perfect after those headache-inducing final exams (that Edward could do in his sleep, had he needed sleep; I on the other hand needed every last second of the two hours provided).

Edward…I couldn't wait to be with him. This was the time, I promised myself. During the span of these two weeks I would finally be able to feel fully complete with him. I would be able to feel the pleasure of being with a man for the first time…well, a partially live one, at least.

"Why do you have to go at night, anyway?" I heard Charlie ask. "Why can't he pick you up in the morning?" I noticed the way he said "he" instead of "Edward." I couldn't tell him the truth.

How many people would take the real reason seriously, let alone my father: "Because then you would see my boyfriend sparkling." Of course, knowing how my father thought, he would probably take it as a defect of Edward's sexuality. I could hear Charlie now: "What? Real men don't sparkle." Well, mine does.

"Uh, well, it's a long ride, and we want to save as much day as we can…easier to drive there..." I let my voice trail off as a knock came from downstairs. I silently thanked Edward for saving me from my lame excuse.

"Must be Edward. I should probably get going, Dad."

Charlie cleared his throat. "Okay, I'll walk you down. Remember always carry your cell phone with you. Mine will be on at all times."

I nodded, "I really have to go," I said, and grabbed my duffel bag. I ran downstairs and opened the door. Almost instantly, any frustration from the conversation with Charlie was gone. His scent, his smile, his beautiful face. It almost took my breath away. How could I have been so lucky? Edward gave me his signature crooked smile as he took my duffel bag. As he threw the strap over his shoulder, I realized he was wearing camping attire. I raised my eyebrows in a silent question. If he was trying to convince Charlie we were actually going on a camping trip, he sure dressed the part well.

"Alice." That was all he had to say.

"Of course," I said. I should've known.

At the sound of Alice's name Charlie was at my side.

"Alice?" he questioned, almost like a child getting a reward. As soon as he saw Edward was alone, his face was smudge again.

"Oh, its only you. Well, alright, take good care of yourself, Bella," he said without taking his gaze from Edward, who smiled politely.

"Afternoon, Chief Swan."

Charlie grunted in response.

"She's in safe hands with us, Chief," said Edward.

Charlie grunted again. "Uh huh. Don't forget to, uh, carry that thing I gave you, Bella. At all times," he said, eyeing Edward.

"Right, Dad." I said, feeling uncomfortable. Edward sensed this and held his hand out for me to take. A pleasant chill ran down my back and made me relax. The coldness radiating from his stone-white hand gave me a refreshing break from the humid weather.

When I was in the car, Charlie came over to my window, again his eyes swung over to Edward. I waited until Charlie was back in the house before I turned to Edward, rolled my eyes, and mumbled, "Sorry."

He reached over and gently pulled me towards him. "Are you ready for these next two weeks?" he asked, kissing the top of my head.

I raised my eyes to his and said, "I've been waiting all semester." I smiled and kissed him.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV CONTINUED**

As we arrived at Edward's house, we found Jasper standing in the middle of the driveway, looking out towards the woods. I could hear something pounding, as if there was a construction site nearby.

"Again?" Edward asked Jasper as soon as we got out. I walked over to Jasper and hugged him, he kissed my cheek and smiled.

"Bella, always nice to see you. You came just in time."

"What's goi-" I began.

"Just watch," Jasper said with a smile as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Isn't it just amazing how skillful she is?"

I followed his gaze to see what he was looking at, and it took me a moment to register what was going on. They were going so fast that I only had a slim chance to see something slam against a tree with a loud boom, as if a building had just fallen.

"WOOO! THAT'S MY GIRL! Give it to her hard, baby!" yelled a voice. It was Emmett, coming down the house steps. He was wearing a black shirt with the arms cut off, the length of which covered a portion of the zipper on the camouflage pants he was wearing. This was the first time I was actually able to see what was under those sleeves. I had always known he was muscular, but now that I was finally able to see his arms bare I found myself admiring how each muscle was perfectly shaped…

Emmett walked towards where Edward and I were standing. Looking down at me, he showed me his perfect white teeth. I seemed to be more aware than usual of how tall he was.

"Hey there, Bella, enjoying the show?" he asked. I breathed in and caught the scent of something incredibly sweet in the air. For a second, I wasn't quite sure if Emmett was referring to whatever was going on in the woods, or if he was referring to himself. I found myself being lifted off my feet and squeezed. Emmett let me dangle in mid-air a few seconds before setting me back down. I turned just as Edward and Jasper let out an "oooh" simultaneously, as if they had just witnessed something painful.

"What's going on?" I asked, hoping Emmett would finally tell me.

"It's Alice and Rosalie. Jasper and I were talking about who was stronger, then they started arguing about it, and next thing you know, it ended up outside," he said, and nodded towards the broken glass on the ground, which I assumed were the remnants of window they had jumped out off.

"Esme is inside cleaning up. She hates it when we break things." Emmett said, not taking his gaze off the fight that was too fast for me to keep up with.

"And who's winning?" I asked, a little worried for Alice. She was a really small girl. Not that Rosalie wasn't, but Alice didn't strike me as the fighter-type.

"My woman, of course," said Emmett smugly.

"Don't get your hopes up. Just because she can beat you doesn't mean she has anything on my Alice," said Jasper with a smile.

Edward laughed before he made a whipping noise.

"Wanna bet?" asked Emmett, then turned to Edward. "EDWARD! Who do you think will win?"

Edward raised his hands quickly. "Don't get me in the middle of this. I have no say when it comes to comparing those two."

"Well, what do you say we make this more interesting? Let's say...a car for a car?" asked Jasper.

Emmett let out a loud laugh. "Seriously, Jasper? A car for a car? This is way too easy. Looks like papa's gonna have a new shiny toy to play with. Deal! COME ON BABE! YOU CAN DO IT!"

Jasper held out his hand, and Emmett shook it.

"Looks like I'm going to be cruising to school in a new car, Bella!" Emmett said happily as Rosalie threw Alice a couple feet in the air. He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and rested his chin on the top of my head. That smell I had caught earlier became stronger. My heart started beating a little faster. I peeked at Edward out of the corner of my eyes, but he didn't seem to mind. I could feel my body tensing as I looked down at his hard, muscular arms wrapped around me. The smell was intoxicating...

The sound of another "building" falling made me look away from Emmett's arms. This time I was able to faintly make out what had created the noise. Alice had slammed against a tree, but she was already up and at it again. Emmett let go of me and raised his hands in triumph. A short time later I heard a louder sound, followed by a scream. A tree came knocking down, which took three more with it. I gasped with worry for Alice but felt better once I heard Emmett groan. Jasper walked over holding his hand out.

"You forgot who taught her. Your keys, please." Jasper's face was smug.

"Oh, come on, Jasp! Rose just bought me that Bugatti!" exclaimed Emmett in disappointment. He reached into his pocket reluctantly and gave his keys to Jasper.

"Alice is going to be pleased," he smiled.

"Bugatti! Aren't those the most expensive cars in the world?" I asked Edward, amazed. He nodded.

"Rosalie will not be," Emmett said, rolling his eyes.

"That little bitch cheated!" I heard Rosalie scream from the woods.


	2. The smell of sweetness

**BELLA'S POV**

"BELLA!" exclaimed Alice as she twirled to where I stood. She looked as beautiful as always; no one would ever have been able to guess that she had just been in a fight.

"Hi, Alice," I said, accepting her hug. I patted her back affectionately.

"Oh, Bella, I was so happy when Edward said you would come. It's going to be so much fun! Just wait till you see what I got for you," she grinned.

"More like for Edward," said Jasper with a sparkle in his eye. Edward smirked.

"She's not going to wear it, Alice."

"Not going to wear what?" I asked, picturing a over-priced ball gown.

"Oh yes she will, and she will look fabulous!" said Alice, as she wrapped her arm around mine and led me up the stairs. "I already saw it."

We walked into the house and were greeted by Esme and Carlisle. They were trying to decide where their hunt would be. As a matter of fact, now that I thought about it…where were we going?

"Edward," I said, once we were up in his room.

"Bella?" he replied absentmindedly, as he packed a few socks into his bag.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked.

"When Carlisle chose Esme as a wife, he bought her a gift for her new life. An island, Esme Island. It's really beautiful and huge. It has waterfalls, caves, the whole deal. Kinda reminds me of a jungle." He let out a soft chuckle. "Throughout the years we bought her a few animals to populate the island with. Of course, we don't feed on them. That's why Carlisle has been busy searching for nearby locations for our hunt." My eyes were wide.

"He bought her…an island?" I asked incredulously.

He laughed at my expression. "Well, when we've lived so long and accumulated so much, there's only so much you need before you realize you need to get rid of some of your wealth."

"What about organizations?" I asked.

"Oh, we used to donate annually, large sums of money. Then we were investigated and after a while it became too dangerous for us. We raised too many suspicions."

I sat at the edge of the bed he bought just for my visits. Edward threw his duffel bag across the room, and in a heartbeat had me pinned down.

"Just you and me," he whispered. He gave me a soft kiss.

"…and the rest of your family." I sighed. Edward smiled and continued to look at me, playing with my hair, only stopping when he began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked, confused.

"It appears as though Emmett will be riding with us," Edward said. He rose and held out his hand to help me up.

"How do you know?" I asked before remembering Edward's vampiric ability. Edward laughed even harder. From a distance I could hear Rosalie yelling at Edward.

"YOU JUST WAIT TIL I'M DONE WITH HIM, EDWARD!" she said from downstairs. Edward grabbed my hand, picked up his bag and turned turned the light off in his room.

"What's going on?" I asked, once again feeling left out.

"Rosalie isn't too happy about Emmett losing the car. It took her a month to get a hold of it for him. Not to mention all the trouble she went through to get it ported over here."

Walking down the stairs, I caught a glimpse of Rosalie's arm movements behind the glass door of the next room. Emmett grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a kiss. I had never seen them being affectionate. And then something I couldn't explain happened. I suddenly felt really warm, I didn't want to see them kissing; I didn't want to see him kissing _her_. I locked my jaw tightly, and a weird feeling began fluttering in the pit of my stomach. It was one of the few times I felt uncomfortable around any of the Cullens, but I couldn't, wouldn't pinpoint the reason for it.

Rosalie pushed Emmett away and glared at me. Emmett had this fierce look on his face that gave me a confused feeling. I looked away and, hand in hand, Edward and I stepped out the house and saw Esme.

"Bella, I really hope you don't mind. But I asked Alice and Jasper to reassure your father that you are in good hands. Carlisle would have gone, but Alice said she really wanted to present Jasper to Charlie," she said.

I laughed. "Oh yeah, I'm sure Charlie will be delighted to meet Jasper."

Edward and Carlisle laughed. They both knew how Charlie felt about Alice. Esme looked at them in confusion and Carlisle whispered something into Esme's ear. Her head tilted up as if she had just found out a great secret.

"Oh my…well, yes, she does hold such charm on men, doesn't she? That's our little Alice," she said with a soft laugh. "Well, should we start loading up?"

We began loading our bags into two of the three cars the Cullens possessed, all of which I thought were way too expensive to take on camping trips. There was a slam at the door, and with that unsettling vampiric skill at movement, Rosalie was by us in less than a second.

"What are you looking at, human?" Rosalie demanded in my direction. Edward glared at her.

"Rosalie!" Esme warned.

"You promised," Carlisle reminded her gently.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

She opened the door to Esme and Carlisle's car, threw her bag in, and stepped into it, then slammed the door shut.

"Please excuse her, Bella," said Esme as she put her hand gently on my shoulder. I could tell she was still afraid of how fragile I was compared to them.

"It's fine," I said, shaking my head. I tried to smile reassuringly and turned to Edward. "I'll wait for you in the car."

As I walked towards it, I took a quick glimpse at Rosalie inside the spotted me, glared, and made a hissing face. I looked away quickly. I couldn't understand what Emmett saw in her. Well, okay, her obvious and remarkable beauty, but I also knew Rosalie had picked him. This thought only confused me more. Why was he still with her? Did he feel obligated, or did he really love her?

Reaching the car, I opened the door and got in, lost in my thoughts. I vaguely noticed that enticing smell again. Edward's car smelled even sweeter then it had outside; it was almost controlling me. I had never smelled this before with Edward. I settled myself in my seat and prepared myself to let the smell sweep over me, relaxing me...

Suddenly I felt two huge, muscular arms wrap around me from behind and I screamed uncontrollably.

"I'VE COME TO GET YOU!" said a deep voice, reminding me of an old Dracula film.

"Emmett!" I said in relief when I recognized his voice. "You startled me!" I had been too lost in my thoughts about him to notice whether or not anyone was in the car.

"Sorry," he said, removing his arms. He grinned sheepishly. "I couldn't help myself."

"It's okay," I replied and grinned back. "Just don't do it again. You know how jumpy I get."

"I wasn't talking about scaring you. Well, that too, but more about what you saw and how Rosalie is acting." He looked down. "She can be a little hard to deal with sometimes."

"Oh," I replied awkwardly. I couldn't think of anything else to say. I knew he had seen me watching them, but it only felt more uncomfortable, knowing that he knew. Thankfully, we were interrupted by Edward. He got into the car, chuckling.

"That was some scream," he said as he tried to keep a straight face.

"Yeah," I said, feeling a little stupid now. I smiled and became excited again, realizing we were finally going to head out. Edward looked back at Emmett with a slick smirk, then at me.

"You look beautiful, Bella," he said softly. He reached for my hand and squeezed it, then started the car. He looked in his rear-view mirror and waited for the sound of a car horn. It came; Alice and Jasper were here, and we all took off at top speed.

I wanted to reach over and kiss Edward, but with Emmett there it didn't feel appropriate. I still felt a little weird about seeing Emmett kiss Rosalie. Edward grabbed my hand and kissed it, almost as if he knew how badly I wanted to kiss him. We looked into each others eyes quickly (since Edward was driving), and Emmett parted our hands with his body when he reached over to turn the stereo on.

"LETS GET SOME MUSIC IN THIS PLACE!" said Emmett, reaching over me into Edward's glove compartment. He grabbed the stack of CDs and shuffled through them.

"What the hell is all this crap?" he said, referring to Edward's classical collection. He threw them back into the glove compartment and began looking for a station, stopping when he heard a metal song. I had gotten a strong whiff of him when he had reached over. He smelled so sweet, even nicer then Edward ever had. He was what I had been smelling. I had to close my eyes and take another whiff of him; it was irresistable.

Emmett turned to me and smiled, baring his perfect white teeth.

"Do you like metal?" he asked me. I was all too aware of how close his face was to mine. I realized I had to start breathing through my mouth if I wanted to speak coherently.

"I uh…" I tried to say.

"Sit down, Emmett," Edward said. His voice brought me out of my trance. I had almost forgotten Edward was in the car.

"It's okay," I said weakly.

Emmett smiled at me once again before sitting back into his seat. He gave a deep growl as the music got louder.

"Come on, Bella, get your ass back here and mosh with me," he said, laughing.

I looked out of the window and tried to normalize my breathing.

"Sit still, would you?" said Edward. He watched Emmett in his rearview mirror and laughed.


	3. Tasting

**BELLA'S POV**

I don't quite remember how long the trip was, or even how I wound up where I was now, but I woke up feeling refreshed with the warm sun hitting my face. I could feel smooth sheets under me; somehow I'd ended up in a bed.

Sitting up, I blinked several times and rubbed my eyes before stretching my arms over my head. The room was as big as my living room and kitchen put together. It was well-furnished with a tan and cream color coordination. Against the wall was a collection of CDs and books. Adjacent to me was a large mirror and a dresser, where someone had unpacked some of my personal items. I looked to my side, where the sun was coming through an open door. My eyes swept the room one last time, and a small piece of paper caught my attention-a note from Edward.

_**My Bella,**_

_Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie and I went out hunting. Jasper, Alice and Emmet stayed behind. Don't hesitate to ask them for anything you need or may want. You know they would be more than delighted to be at your service. I assume you slept well; you slept so soundly in the car and on the boat to the island that you reminded me of an angel. I couldn't bring myself to wake you. I will come back to you soon._

**_ Yours always,_**  
**_ Edward._**

Emmett had stayed? Rosalie must have still been upset with him; usually they did everything together. Oh well. It was none of my business.

As I got up, I noticed I was wearing a silky blue nightgown. I stepped in front of the mirror and groaned. How the hell had I managed to sleep throughout my wardrobe change as well?

"Oh, Alice," I said to myself. The dress had a low V-cut in the front that was too revealing for my taste. The sides of the dress hugged my hips. I knew Edward had enjoyed the sight of me dressed like this, but I didn't. I looked over to the open door leading outside and began walking to it. I ran my fingers though my hair in an attempt to tame it.

I stepped out onto a small open patio right outside my room and was in awe. It was breathtaking. Before me lay a mass of aqua water that was so clear I could see almost to the bottom. There were towering palm trees hung with fruits. It was the kind of place I could only dream about. I could see sand, apparently some kind of beach, and a small little hut. The sky was bright and the sun beamed through the clouds; the air smelled sweet, like coconuts or some sort of fruit. The warm air had an undercurrent of a cold breeze that came from the water. Slowly I turned away, as if afraid if I turned too quickly, it would all disappear.

Stepping back into the room, I caught the smell of sausage and pancakes. My stomach growled faintly; I hadn't realized how hungry I was. I followed the scent down a hall with pristine white walls. It looked as nice and modern as their house back home did, but this one had pictures of the Cullens at various places. My stomach was growling at every sniff I got of the breakfast someone was preparing for me, or assumed was for me, as I was the only human in the house. As I got closer, I could make out the cheery voices of the three beautiful Cullens I had been left with.

Suddenly, I realized I had left my room with just the nightgown, and I quickly turned around to go back to my room. I wanted to get a shirt or shawl to cover my exposed skin.

"Hey sleepy head!" said Emmett loudly from behind me.

I screamed, startled, and fell against the wall. I slid down to the floor into a sitting position.

"EMMETT! DON'T STARTLE THE POOR GIRL SO EARLY IN THE MORNING! SHE HASN'T EVEN HAD A BITE TO EAT!" yelled Alice from the kitchen. I could hear Jasper laughing.

Emmett looked down at me and grinned. I looked up at him and noticed he was wearing a flattering white shirt, on which was printed a black panther, with a pair of green shorts. For some reason, he looked more handsome than usual; the colors complimented his complexion well.

He knelt to my level and I was able to see that his eyes were black. I could feel my breath increasing in speed. Every time I filled my lungs with air I breathed in the sweet-smelling air that surrounded him. My eyes became a little heavy and I felt as if I was floating, almost like a small high. He smiled and raised his hand to my neck, and I stiffened. I was sure my eyes opened wider in surprise.

"You're going to have to be careful if you're going to wear things like that," he said. He reached over, and I felt his cold fingers brush my skin as he pulled the strap of my nightgown up to where it should have been. I hadn't realized that when I fell the strap had fallen to the side. I nodded numbly as he stood and held his hand out to help me up. What I wasn't sure of now was whether or not I had revealed more than what I would want.

He put his arm around me, like he always did, but this time it felt different, less brotherly. It felt nice, and it sort of made me want to smile. He led me into the kitchen, and I couldn't help thinking how much nicer it was than the kitchen they had back home, which amused me since they didn't even use the kitchen.

Jasper was seated at the marble-topped island in the middle of the kitchen, and Alice was at the stove across from Jasper flipping a pancake. Jasper was wearing a light blue shirt and black shorts. His hair was more out of place than what I normally saw.

"Morning, Bella. You look...nice," Jasper smiled. Alice had her short hair in a small ponytail. She was wearing a white tank top and a white skirt.

"Of course she does, I picked it out for her," said Alice without looking away from the stove. "I hope you're hungry. I did a lot of research on what you humans like to eat. I hope this is enough." She pointed to the platter of eggs, sausages, and pancakes. I was supposed to eat this all by myself? It was enough to feed a whole family and still have seconds.

"Wow, Alice, this looks great. I'm not sure that I can eat it all, though." I said, sitting down next to Emmet. I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"You'll find somewhere to put it. I read somewhere that humans need a good, hearty breakfast to begin their day. Juice or milk?" asked Alice.

"Juice, please." I looked to the others for help.

"I think you may have overdone it a little, babe," said Jasper, smiling at Alice. She sighed.

"I'm sorry. It's just when I got started, I couldn't stop. And I tried comparing what humans consume to how much I like to eat when I'm hungry. I guess that wasn't the best way to judge." She smiled at me, and handed me a plate and utensils.

"We bought enough food for you," she said, pointing to the fridge.

"More like enough to feed a whole army," joked Emmett from his place at the table, close to where Alice was standing. He and Jasper shared a laugh, which caused Alice to give Jasper a "look." I took a bite of the sausage I had on my fork, and when I looked up again I could see them sharing some sort of silent communication. Emmett nodded his head almost imperceptibly. Then Jasper looked at Alice. She smiled a bit and looked down shyly. Wait…ALICE? Shy?

Jasper had a twinkle in his eye. Emmett whistled.

"Oh brother!" he said, shaking his head. Alice snapped a look at him before she turned and smiled at me.

"Bella, will you be okay if we leave you on your own with this one?" She nodded towards Emmett. I took a bite of my scrambled eggs.

"Umm, yeah, sure," I said, with a mouth full of food. Alice immediately grabbed Jaspers hand and they both let out the room through the glass door, which led out to the beautiful surroundings.

"Careful what you break, you two!" Emmett yelled after them. He smirked at me.

Emmett and I sat in silence for a couple minutes, and the only sound in the kitchen was of my fork hitting the plate. I took a drink of my juice.

"Soooo, where did those two go?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

Emmett laughed. "Are you serious?"

My confusion must have been apparent because he didn't wait for my answer. "Oh, come on. You didn't even notice Jasper's emotions radiating off him in the air?"

I shook my head.

"Oh, come on, even you can't be that innocent, Bella," said Emmett.

It finally clicked.

"OOOOH!" I said as I realized what he was talking about.

Emmett laughed. "Yeah. Exactly." I saw him look down at my food as I stuffed a piece of pancake in my mouth.

"Would you like to try some?" I asked. He made a face.

"No thank you. It took me a while to get used to animal blood and now you want me to eat animal meat?"

"It's pretty good." I said, trying to encourage him.

"Okay.. I'll give it a try." He stood up and got closer to me. He grabbed the fork, which was still in my hand, without giving me time to let go. Before I could stop myself, I shuddered. His touch felt like a shock wave, and I gasped. I kept my eyes on the plate. He stabbed at the sausage I had been eating from and brought it to his mouth. I refused to let myself look at him, but I could feel him staring at me.

He shoveled the piece of sausage into his mouth and bit down. My curiosity got the better of me, and I looked up, right into his eyes. They were pitch black; I'd never even seen Edward's eyes that dark before.

He let go of my hand as he began chewing the meat. I blinked several times and looked away from him.

"What do you think?" I asked.

There was a short pause, and then: "It tastes like...you."

I was caught off guard. "What did you say?"

"I can taste you on it. From when you took a bite. It tastes the way you smell." His tone sounded strange, but I'd heard it before.

It was the way Laurent had spoken to me the one time he'd found me alone in Edward's meadow.


	4. Desired

**BELLA'S POV**

As he stared into my eyes, I froze. I knew I was in danger, but I couldn't bring myself to move. I felt like a deer about to get struck by an oncoming car. His black eyes were mesmerizing, and that smell...it was overpowering, especially with how close he was. I watched helplessly as Emmett stared at my lips, then my neck, and finally my almost-bare chest. From the corner of my eye I could see his hand balling into a fist, and it reminded me of what Edward had done when I first sat next to him in class. I found myself grateful that he didn't still have my hand in his. His lips parted slightly. The smell became stronger; my eyelids lowered, I couldn't think...

Snap out of it! I yelled at myself with the last ounce of willpower I had. I forced myself to take deep breaths, and this helped bring some control of my body back. Emmett's eyes were closed. He brought one of his hands to my hair. He started breathing through his mouth, and a low, sensuous growl escaped from his mouth.

"Emmett?" I breathed. I was too scared to even manage a whisper.

His eyes snapped open. I gasped and jumped back in my chair, no longer able to hide my fear.

He noticed and shook his head hard. "I…I have to go…I can't..." He seemed to be talking more to himself than to me.

"Emmett?" I tried again. But he didn't look at me; instead he walked towards the same open door Alice and Jasper had gone through. He stopped just in front of it, and for a split second I thought he would come back. He tilted his head up and took a deep breath. He turned his head slightly and began to speak, then changed his mind. Instead, he just shook his head and sped off.

I put my right hand on my neck, and began to breathe heavily, as though I had just run a mile.

What had just happened? Had I almost become Emmett's meal? The only Cullens I'd ever had reason to fear up until now were Jasper and Rosalie.

I quickly started cleaning up the leftovers and wrapped up the extra food. Perhaps Edward could take it to a nearby village or something for the less lucky to eat. Maybe even for the animals he'd told me they had here. I slowly walked back to my room for a hot shower, dazed.

**EMMETT'S POV**

_FEED._

My mind was focused on that one word. Moreover, I didn't want to feed on just anyone. I wanted Bella.

What the hell had just happened?

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a shuffling nearby. I crouched and listened; I could detect the presence of a bear. I tried to focus my energy and thoughts on it instead. It was one of my favorite animals to hunt, and I was starving after what had just happened with Bella. Luckily I'd bought Esme a pair for her island so they could mate and reproduce. That way, if I fed on one, it would be more likely to go unnoticed.

I quickly swung myself up into the tree next to me and waited for the bear to come into view. It was a female bear followed by two small cubs, who were playing and rolling on top of one another. As the adult bear came closer, I jumped on top of it.

Most times, I love wrestling with my prey. This time, however, I felt a thirst like I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt the bear's fur coat under me as I quickly dug my teeth into the back of its neck. A quick flow of blood gushed into my mouth, but she wasn't dead yet. I could hear her growling and trying to put up a fight. I only gripped on tighter, lost in what seemed to be an unquenchable thirst.

I heard the bear's cubs crying as they heard their mother's pain. One was even biting my leg, but I ignored it. Finally, I felt the bear's body become heavy and limp as I drained it of its last ounces of blood. I dug a hole and quickly buried her body; the two cubs hid behind one of the trees and whimpered in fear.

When I was done, I patted the ground over the hole and laid down over the body of my prey. I was full, my thirst was under control again; I felt under control of myself finally.

Although the scent and taste of the bear's blood didn't satisfy the desire I had for Bella's blood.

The dirt around me felt cool. I could still hear the cubs crying. I knew I would have to block my murderous thoughts from Edward, and after decades of practice it wouldn't be any harder then it had been for me to kill that bear. I had mastered a way of keeping him out of my head.

I brought my hand up to my nose, where I could still smell Bella from when I had grabbed her hair. The scent of the bear's fur had done little to mask it. I closed my eyes and let myself focus on the smell. I shuddered. Her smell was over-powering; I had come so close to giving in to my impulse.

I couldn't explain what was going on with me. It almost scared me. After years of being in close contact with humans, of smelling blood from accidental paper cuts and gym falls, I couldn't remember ever having to fight so hard to keep my cool. I couldn't remember desiring someone's blood so badly...

I ran my hand down my face to my chest.

"So this is what Edward meant when he spoke to Carlisle two years ago," I said to myself. This was why he'd left, scared that he would corner her in a dark, isolated spot and drain her life away. Hell, I could even understand if he'd wanted to kill her in the middle of class. I wondered in amazement how Edward had overcome the desire to taste her when he kissed her.

I licked my lips at the thought of kissing her myself, of tasting her, smelling her, being warmed by her human heat. All that blood flowing through her veins gave me a thrill.

I sighed. It would be no use returning to the house in the state I was in. I had to distract myself.

I turned my head and saw the cubs coming closer to me, still whimpering.

"Hey there," I said, reaching out my hand. The movement was too fast, and the cubs backed away quickly. I felt guilty. I had left them alone and they were scared; I knew how they felt.

"I'll take care of you two," I said, as I let my hand rest on the ground. One cub came closer and licked my hand; the other soon followed. They grew comfortable with me, and I was able to pet them. My thoughts inevitably returned to Bella. I had always wondered how Edward could fall in love with her. She was an attractive human, but she had never been able to compete with my Rosalie. No, not even close.

She had always seemed so plain, so…kid sister…so…. human. Now I understood that both Rosalie and Bella were beautiful in different ways. I could feel myself desiring her.

And it wasn't just the temptation of her blood. I was curious about her now. I wanted to know her the way Edward had gotten to.


	5. Into the deep

_**COVER ART IN MY PROFILE.**_

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"Mmmm," I sighed, feeling the warm water relax my muscles. I was trying to forget what had just happened. Had I overreacted? Emmett had never tried to hurt me before-was something changing?

I let my head roll back and closed my eyes as the water rinsed out the lilac-scented shampoo in my hair.

"Bella."

I screamed and nearly slipped at the sound of my name. I'm sure Charlie expected me to come back home without any broken bones. I was going to have to set some rules about everyone scaring me if I wanted to live up to that.

I wiped the steamy film that had fogged up the glass shower door. I could vaguely make out Alice's figure.

"So, what do you think?" asked Alice. She quickly slid the shower door open and modeled a yellow bikini with a white stone at the center of the top part. She looked fantastic, but I was naked.

"Alice!" I cried in alarm. I attempted to cover the most private areas with my arms. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Bella, we're both grown women." She grinned and handed me a towel anyway. "Besides, I didn't see anything. Hardly." She laughed at my embarrassment. "Anyway, the others are back. We're all heading out to the beach so when you're done with your shower, put this on." She laid some type of blue fabric on the toilet cover. I squinted and recognized its shape.

"NO! Alice, I am NOT wearing that!" I said with disgust for the skimpy, blue bikini.

"Oh yes, you are. Even if that means I have to lock up all your clothes in the closet with a key." She picked up my dirty clothes.

"Fine. I'll just have to borrow Edward's," I replied, smiling proudly.

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me!" she said, sticking her tongue out right before she left the room.

"Alice, wait!" I yelled as she shut the door. "Damn that small vampire!" I said hitting the side of the showers wall. Getting out of the shower, I quickly dried myself off with the towel. I walked over to the bikini and picked it up between my index finger and thumb.

"Ugh," I said.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

"Emmett?" called a gentle voice. I turned to look at Rosalie when she entered and pulled up my swimming trunks. She was wearing a red bikini, and her faced was framed by beautiful, blond waves. She hung her head and came up to me.

"I'm sorry for how I was acting before. I had some time to think while we were hunting." She ran her hand up and down my chest. I brought my hand to her face; she was stunning.

My Rosalie…she'd been by my side, taken me out of my painful, warm life and into this cold one. Overall, I was happy with how things had turned out; I'd grown accustomed to my life. Still, I longed to know how it felt to be human again.

Bella was _human_.

I took another look at Rosalie, my wife, but I was aware of how badly I wanted things to click with Bella.  
She had something I didn't and that Rosalie couldn't give me: life.

Bella had warmth and human vulnerabilities. She was different; there were things she could experience that I no longer could.

And I couldn't even get a taste of it, because she was Edward's.

Rosalie seemed to be waiting for me to say something, so I pulled my thoughts away from Bella and said, "I'm sorry too, Rose. I mean, it was all fun and games, I didn't mean to piss you off. And…at least it stays in the family, right?" She smiled. I took her face in my hands. "We can get another one if you enjoyed riding in the Bugatti." She shook her head.

"It wasn't really the car that got me mad, Em. Sometimes you act so...childish. Don't get me wrong, I've always wanted a child, but I don't want you to be the child. I want you to be the man in my life." Rosalie grabbed my hands up to her. I realized we had finally gotten to the heart of the matter.

"You know we can't have a child, Rose," I said gently and brought her into a hug.

She stood quiet in my arms.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"Edward?" I asked, peeking out only my head from the bathroom door. He was sitting on the bed, reading a thick book. Excellent, he was here. He stood up and put the book away. As he walked to me he smiled, his eyes the warm, amber color I loved. He wore only his swimming trunks; I took in his pale, stone-chiseled body, so slim and beautiful.

"She convinced you to wear it?" he asked smiling, expecting to see me wearing the bikini. Instead, I threw the bikini at him. He caught it in his hand and looked at it in confusion. I shook my head, took a deep breath, and opened the door completely, showing him my nude body. Even though he turned away quickly, I knew he'd seen me, but I wanted it to be more than a glimpse. I wanted him to see me, to take his time and let his eyes wander all over my body. I wanted to see the man in him crave me, desire me.

"What are you doing, Bella?" he asked, breathing heavily. I walked to him, grabbed his face and turned it to me so that he was looking down into my eyes.

"Edward, we've been together for two years, and I love you. I know you love me too, but sometimes...I don't think you...want me," I said. He wouldn't take his gaze away from my face. I tilted my head a little, an unspoken signal of encouragement.

Slowly, he allowed his gaze to lower. I walked back a few steps, allowing him to look at me in full. I felt a bit self-conscious, but this was Edward, my life. And I wanted him. He took his time, before finally looking back into my eyes. He walked to me, and gently kissed me on my lips. Gently grabbing my chin, he smiled.

"You don't know how badly I...You are so beautiful to me, and I want everything about you, Bella. I have to control myself every second you're around me, you know that. I am a man, and naturally I do have that... desire. But its not time yet."

So he was going to refuse me.

Again.

I became upset.

"THEN WHEN, EDWARD! WHEN WILL IT BE TIME!" I demanded.

"Bella, you are so fragile to me, I could never forgive myself if I harmed you."

"THAT'S BULLSHIT! You won't even try! I'll never be strong enough for you until you turn me, and you won't even do that!"

"I already told you what my conditions were: not until we get married." I could tell he was making an effort to be patient with me, and it made me even more angry.

"Yeah, whatever. You'll always find an excuse." I snatched the blue cloth away from him, pulled on the bottom piece, and held the top over my breasts to cover them. I realized I couldn't reach the back to tie it, but I sure wasn't going to ask Edward for help.

"Bella," he pleaded.

"Just leave me alone!" I shouted. I walked out and slammed the door behind me. I turned around and bumped into a solid wall.

"Ow," I said, rubbing my nose in confusion.

"BELLA! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! Are you okay?" said Jasper, checking my face. The wall had in fact been Jasper.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. I could feel my nose pounding in soreness. "Hey, do you mind tying this thing?"

"Of course!" he said quickly, tying the two blue strings.  
"Thanks," I said.

"Wow, Bella, you look…amazing," he said, smiling. I blushed and crossed my arms in an attempt to cover my chest. I still felt half-naked. "Were you headed outside?"

"Actually, I was looking for Alice."

"She's out there; we all are. I came back in to see if you and Edward were coming." He looked at the door, waiting for Edward to follow me out.

"Yeah, Edward will be out in a bit. I'm ready, I guess." I looked down at myself and grimaced.

"You look great, Bella. Really," Jasper reassured me. "Shall we?" He held his arm out, and I smiled and wrapped my arm around his. He led the way.

As we stepped out of the house, I was finally able to see my surroundings firsthand. I could never even dream of something so amazing as this was.

From the corner of my eye I could see Jaspers body sparkling. The island only brought out the Cullens' beauty even more. I looked at him and smiled.

"You're beautiful," I told him. Jasper gave a hearty laugh.

"Thanks, back at you. You look really sexy, if you don't mind me saying…for a human I mean." He laughed again at the last bit.

"Ha, ha," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, you're the one who's named Bella. And you truly are," he grinned. As we got closer to the beach, I could see the other sparkling Cullens, especially Rosalie. I mean, who wouldn't? I had never imagined she could look more perfect then she already did.

As we stepped onto the sand, the bottom of my feet burned.

"Oh, wow, the sand is really hot," I said, letting go of Jasper and hopping around.

"Here, let me give you a hand." He swiftly grabbed me and put me over his shoulders.

"Whoa! Hold on, I-" I attempted to catch my balance and grabbed on tightly to the top of his head. "You really don't have to, Jasper, it's fine, I can..." But he laughed, ignored me, and kept walking towards the beach. It felt like I was sitting on ice.

From my awkward position, I could see the Cullens. Carlisle and Alice were building a sand castle and Esme was laying on the sand with Rosalie. What about...my eyes swept the beach, and I saw him…Emmett. He swam out of the water and began walking toward Rosalie, smiling. He was sparkling like the other Cullens. Each muscle on his body was well-defined, and even more distinguished by the sun and water glistening off his body. It excited me in a way that felt...right.

"I see Rosalie and Emmett are on better terms now," I said with a cheerfulness I didn't feel.

"For now," responded Jasper. "Do you know how to swim?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Something told me he was up to something. Jasper looked up and smiled.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

"Babe! Come on, the water's great! Come in with me," I said to Rose.

"Ugh, no thanks. I'll pass. I'm not swimming in the same water fish swim in. Not with this hair," said Rose. She tilted her head back and shook her blond hair in the wind. I had to admit she looked sexy as hell right now, but she was boring me. I hated how she never wanted to do anything fun. The only times she ever got messy were when hunting or playing baseball, and even that wasn't a common thing.

Suddenly, I heard someone screaming.

"JASPER! NOOO! AHHHH!" I turned to see Jasper carrying Bella…wait, that was BELLA? Whoa. Bella was in the bikini Alice had given her. I never thought I'd actually see her in it. She looked…I just couldn't take my eyes away from her. Jasper was laughing the whole way, even as he leaped high into the air and towards the deeper end of the water.

"HOLD YOUR BREATH!" warned Jasper. I watched as both Bella and Jasper went into the water. I heard Rosalie scoff behind me. Alice and Esme give a cheerful laugh and Carlisle watched on smiling.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," I said under my breath as I ran back into the water and swam towards them.


	6. Breath taking

**BELLA'S POV**

Although the water was not as cold as I thought it would be, I could still feel my skin tighten in surprise, and I opened my eyes. The water was as clear as I had thought it was, and I could see Jasper in front of me, smiling. He pointed up, signaling that we should swim to the surface. As we got to the top, I took a huge gasp of air.

"I had forgotten you needed air, you humans," laughed Jasper. I continued to breath in, as the water swayed us.

"Can…can I grab…on to…you?" I asked, trying to keep myself from swallowing the water. Jasper laughed again.

"Of course." He reached his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. Like a child, I wrapped my legs around him and my arms around his neck. His cold body sent chills through me; it felt pleasant in contrast to the warm water. I turned when I heard something swimming to us.

"What is that?" I asked, a little scared. Could it be a shark?

"Relax, he may look like an animal, but it's only Emmett." As soon as Jasper said that, Emmett's head popped out from under the water.

"Hey, guys," he said smiling.

I smiled back, and my eyes looked past him towards the beach. Another chill ran through my body, but this time it wasn't from the sight of Emmett or Jasper's cold skin. I looked over his shoulder and saw Edward watching us from the sand.

* * *

**EMMETT'S P.O.V.**

"Want to race?" Jasper asked me. I nodded and grinned.

"You know it." Emmett beamed

"I, uh… I think I'll swim back to shore. I'll see you guys later," said Bella as she let go of Jasper.

"Come on, Bella," protested Jasper. "We can show you around a little…oh, I see." He had spotted Edward on the beach. "Or Edward can show you around."

Bella nodded and swam away from us. As she passed me our eyes met. She looked away quickly and kept going.

"Ready?" asked Jasper.

"Uh, yeah, in a sec, Jasp. I'll go drop Bella off real quick. I'll be right back to beat you!" I could hear him protesting as I swam to Bella.

"Bella."

She turned around, her eyes wide. The expression on her face made me want to smile; she looked really cute. At the same time, it was upsetting to see she was still afraid of me.

"Shit!" she exclaimed. She lost her balance and I watched her go under water. She resurfaced and took a deep breath. I caught her before she could sink down again. The water was deep for any human, and Bella's clumsiness made it even more dangerous.

My arm wrapped around her waist and my body shuddered uncontrollably. I gasped; she felt so warm. So...soft. As I looked at her, she blushed a deep red.

"Bella?" I asked.

She blinked, and took a big breath.

* * *

**BELLA'S P.O.V**

_Oh, God, I can't believe I'm wearing this thing in front of Emmett. What if he thinks I looks fat or ugly…wait. **Why should I even care what he thinks?**_

"Bella."

I turned to see Emmet swimming towards me.

"Shit!" He'd caught me off guard, and before I knew it I'd gone underwater. I found my way back up and spit out some of the water I'd swallowed. I took a big gulp of air and swung my hands to my sides as though it would actually stop me from going back under. Just as I felt my body going down again, I felt a cold arm wrap around my waist.

Suddenly, I was face-to-face with Emmett. I looked into his eyes…they weren't black anymore, and I felt a little more relieved. He'd probably fed when he'd ran out of the kitchen earlier. His face sparkled so beautifully with the sun beaming down on him. I could feel my mouth slowly part, and then I began to feel light-headed.

"Bella?" he said as he studied my face and wore a confused expression. I had forgotten to breathe, just like I had done plenty of times with Edward.

I took in a big breath, and with that took in his scent. Even the smell of the water and wet sand couldn't overpower that sweet smell.

"Whoa," I said, as the oxygen reached my brain. "I'm a little dizzy."

And without thinking, I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on his chest. I felt his chest move back a little, as though my forehead burned him. This brought me back to reality.

"Sorry. I just…" I began, looking apologetically into his eyes, and then at his lips.

"It's...it's okay," he gulped. "I'm just not used to feeling something so warm directly on my skin."


	7. Jasper's question

**BELLAS P.O.V**

My body was getting warmer, and a tingling sensation coursed through my body. I suddenly realized how this could look to anyone watching and turned to see if I could still see Edward. The other Cullens were back to what they were doing, but I couldn't see him.

"Are you looking for Edward?" asked Emmett. I nodded, making sure I didn't look at him. I felt that if I did, I'd become lost again. I had to admit to myself that something was happening; and I knew exactly what it was.

I was becoming attracted to him, like a fly becomes attracted to a light, or a prey to its predator. What I didn't understand was why I had never felt this before around him. Why Emmett? Why now? After the past two years of seeing him as brother, all of the sudden he was hypnotizing to me. Did vampires have an ability to do it on purpose? Was it a power they had? And if they did, why was Emmett doing it to me?

"He's on his way over here. I think he thinks you're hurt."

"Why would he think that?" I said simply, staring out to the water.

"I was thinking about how sorry I am," he replied quietly.

"Sorry for what?" I was curious but still turned away from him.

"Bella…could you please look at me?"

* * *

**EMMETT'S P.O.V**

_Great._ Now Edward thinks she's hurt. I'm going to have to watch my thoughts again more than ever, especially now.

"Are you looking for Edward?" I asked, trying to hide my disappointment. Bella looked over to where the others were and nodded. I could see Edward swimming over to where we were. At his speed, he would be here soon.

"He's on his way over here. I think he thinks you're hurt."

"Why would he think that?" she said, not looking at me. I hated when people didn't look at my face when they spoke to me. It made me feel as though they weren't interested in what I had to say. And I wanted her to be interested in paying attention to me.

"I was thinking about how sorry I am." I said, trying to make the most of this interaction. Who knew when I would be able to get this close to her again?

"Sorry for what?" she asked.

"Bella… could you please look at me?"

She finally turned to me. Edward was closer now; I had to be quick.

"For earlier. Please forgive me," I pleaded

"I…" she said, almost choking it out.

"I'll make it up to you…I promise. I just want things to be okay for you again," I insisted.

She paused before saying, "Okay. But can we talk about it some other time? When I'm not so prone to drowning?" she attempted to joke.

"Of course," I said, relieved. And then our time was up.

"HEY THERE, EDWARD!" I said. Bella turned and smiled at him. Edward rushed over to her and grabbed her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, scared, and looked at me.

"Edward, I'm fine." she said laughing, to prove that she really was. "I'm okay."

Edward looked at me in confusion. "Then why were you thinking you were sorry? I heard you. I heard your thoughts."

Bella laughed as she let go of me and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"He was just apologizing for scaring me earlier. That's all." She kissed his cheek to reassure him. After having her so close to me, I fet a twinge of jealousy at her being so close to him. I nodded.

"Yeah...so how about it, Bells? Do you forgive me?" She rolled her eyes and gave me a cheerful smile.

"Of course I do! You're like my brother, I can't be mad at you."

Brother? I thought. Was that all she thought of me? My heart dropped, and I knew I had to be careful and continue shielding my thoughts against Edward.

"Good! Well, I'll catch up to you guys later. I have a race to win against Jas." I turned and swam away.

* * *

**BELLA'S P.O.V**

"Bella, I'm sorry too," said Edward. Geez, another apology? Today is the day of forgiveness on Esme Island, I thought. I might as well join in.

"No, I'm sorry, Edward. I overreacted." Edward ran his hand through my hair.

"I thought about what you said and...are you sure? Do you really want to do this?" he asked me. My heart began racing. Was he serious?

"YES! Of course!" I said, and hugged him hard. He caressed the back of my head for a few seconds and pulled away to look at me.

"Okay," he said. "BUT...not today."

"TOMORROW!" I asked, excited. I could feel myself wanting him at this very moment.

"Soon," he smirked.

"Oh, Edward. You don't know how happy I am right now ." I pressed against him again.

"I would do anything for you, Bella, if I knew it would make you safe and happy," he whispered. "Now,come on, lets go help Alice and Carlisle. They're building a sand castle."

"They're still working on it?" I asked.

"You must have seen the small model. They want to build a life-size one, where we can actually walk inside. Of course, it's not going to be as big as a house or have more then one floor. Still, they'll be there for a while." He turned around so he could pick me up onto his back. "Hold on tight."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and wrapped my legs around his torso.

"That sounds amazing."

EMMETT'S P.O.V

I pushed through the water as easily as though I were running on land. With one last push I touched the rock that marked the finish line. Jasper followed close behind.

"WOOOOOOOO!" I howled, victorious.

"YOU CHEATED!" Jasper yelled.

"No, I didn't! It's not my fault your arms are shrimpy," I laughed.

"Well, not all of us want to look like…a beast!" he joked. I laughed and flexed, kissing my arms.

"All natural, bro." We rested against the rock, moving our legs to stay afloat.

"So how are things with Rosalie going?" Jasper asked, scratching his shoulder. I sighed.

"Like always. You know how she is. One minute we're fine, the next minute I don't, you know, get any for a couple of months."

"Ouch," he said.

"Yeah, but we worked things out earlier. Let's see how long that lasts."

We rested in silence for a few minutes, and then Jasper turned to face me and patted my shoulder in a way that would have broken a human arm.

"Em, have you ever wondered if there's someone else out there for everyone?" he asked me seriously. I could feel my eyebrows knit together as my confusion answered him. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I love Alice, like I'm sure you love Rosalie, and Edward loves Bella. But…have you ever wondered, what if?"

"Uh, is there something you'd like to tell me, Jas?" I asked. He pulled his hand away and ran his hand through his hair.

"Before I ever even met Alice…" he began. I nodded to show him I was listening. "While I was in that Army one of our…generals, if you could call him that, had a daughter. She was gorgeous, inside and out. She even took care of me during my phase change. Needless to say, I fell in love with her." He silently gazed out over the water, and I let him have his moment, assuming he was remembering a memory of her. He broke the silence.

"But she was killed." I stayed quiet; I didn't want to push him and ask too many questions. "And then I met Alice. Don't get me wrong, I love her. But I always wondered what could have happened if Eve and I had lasted."

We were silent once again. Jasper nodded and looked at me. I nodded in reply and patted his back. Neither of us needed to say anything; we both knew this was a conversation we would keep between us. Silently, we both swam back to shore.


	8. Full Moon

**A/N**

GET A HOLD OF THE SONG_:_

_(__**FULL MOON BY THE BLACK GHOSTS**__)_ FOR THE LAST EMMETT POV.

**I THOUGHT IT FIT PERFECTLY AND BEAUTIFUL.**

**_You can load it on Youtube in a diff window then play it when its time!_**

* * *

**BELLAS P.O.V**

"Rosalie, sweetheart, you really should join us. It's so fun," said Esme as she patted more sand onto the foundation of the castle. It was taller then me. As I patted more sand onto the side, I peeked over at Rosalie, who hadn't moved from her spot on the blanket.

"Umm, no thanks. It took me forever to get my hair like this," she said without opening her eyes. Alice, who was at my side, elbowed me lightly and rolled her very black eyes. I'd forgotten she hadn't gone out on her hunt yet.

"So how are we going to get a roof up there?" I asked.

"Well, it'll be getting dark; we probably won't get to it today. Just a few more pats should finish up this part, but tomorrow we can go out go out and gather up some banana leafs to patch together for the roof," Esme said. My stomach growled at the word "banana," and Esme smiled. "Oh, of course you must be hungry. I'm sorry, dear, we should have gotten you something earlier."

"No, it's okay, I hadn't actually noticed how hungry I was," I said sheepishly. Edward chuckled.

"You need a human moment," he said. I smiled and stuck my tongue out at him. I was so happy. I couldn't believe how I'd acted earlier, like an animal in heat...I'd thought I was sexually attracted to Emmett. Oh God, the thought of him-of anyone-ever finding out.

"Oh, good, the boys are back." said Esme as Jasper and Emmett walked up. "Boys, Carlisle and I are going in to make Bella her dinner. Does anyone have any other plans tonight?" Jasper raised his hand and pointed to his eyes. "Oh of course, I forgot. I expect Alice will be going as well then?" She looked at Alice,who nodded. "We'll see you when you get back wrapped his arm around her and led her towards the house.

Alice looked at me and smiled. "Have a good dinner, Bella. Good night." I smiled at her and then at Jasper.

"Night, guys. Have fun."

"AH!" screamed Rosalie. I turned to where she had been laying to see Emmett holding her in his arms and spinning her around. My smile quickly went away. Alice looked at Edward.

"We'll be back in a few hours." Her eyes were still on Emmett and Rosalie, who continued to scream.

"LET ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN! YOU'RE MESSING UP MY HAIR! EMMETT!"

"I think we know where this is heading. We'd better go, Jasper," said Alice. Edward agreed on her first remark.

"Is it bad?" asked Jasper.

"Oh, yeah…she's giving him six months this time," said Alice in reply.

"Ouch. How will the man live?" said Jasper. I sensed Edward tense up. Jasper must have noticed or felt Edwards discomfort because he looked at Edward, worried. "Not that there's anything wrong with that…I mean if I had to…I mean, if I knew Alice and I…uh…had to…um…wait…" He stumbled over his own words. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Jas, let's go! I'm starving," she sang. Jasper nodded and said sorry to Edward before they both left, running towards the water, and then they were gone thanks to their unhuman speed. What the hell was THAT about? I thought to myself. I turned back to watch Emmett. Even though Rosalie was protesting, he seemed so happy twirling his bride in his arms. I could tell he loved her dearly.

Good, that's how it should be…right? But then why did I wish that it was me he was holding? Hadn't I just wiped away any attraction I had towards Emmett a moment ago?

"Come on, Bella," said Edward, lacing his cold fingers into my warm ones.

"What were you guys talking about earlier? What's Rosalie going to give Emmett for six months?" I asked as we walked together.

"More like what she isn't going to give him for six months," he said under his breath.

* * *

**EMMETT'S P.O.V**

"Put me down, you damn overgrown goon!" said Rosalie. She was dead serious; I stopped spinning her and lightly put her down on her feet. She used to love it when I did that to her...she'd changed so much.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I just couldn't figure her out. I watched as Rosalie readjusted her bikini and fixed her hair.

"WHAT'S WRONG? IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO GET MY HAIR LIKE THIS! I ALREADY TOLD YOU TO GROW THE FUCK UP AND BE A MAN! YOU ARE NOT A CHILD ANYMORE!" she screamed at me. I was confused; I thought we'd already dealt with this. And all I'd done was try to have a little fun with her. It wasn't like she couldn't redo her hair. She wasn't human; she wasn't going to sleep and waste time from fixing it again.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to-" I began, but she cut me off.

"YOU WERE JUST TRYING TO GET ON MY NERVES AGAIN! YOU'RE FUCKING STUPID, YOU KNOW THAT?" she screamed.

"Rose…babe…please, stop yelling. I'll help you with your hair if you want," I said. I tried to grab her hand and she snatched it away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she said hysterically.

"Rose," I tried again. Once more, I reached for her hand in an attempt to calm her down. But it happened too quickly. The next thing I knew I felt a sharp pain on my forearm. I winced and my first instinct was to grab my arm. I slowly brought my hand down from where the pain had been, and I saw a deep gash running down the length of my forearm. I looked up at her. I didn't know how to react.

"Rose…" I said quietly.

She stared at me hard, her face devoid of any regret or guilt, of any emotion but hate. The face I loved to look at wasn't beautiful to me right now. The anger screwed her face into an image of twisted, ugly evil. She turned and ran towards the house.

* * *

**BELLA'S P.O.V**

"Mmmm. That was so good." I said, pushing my plate away. "Thank you so much."

I had changed out of my bikini and into black jogging pants and white tank top while Esme and Carlisle cooked. It was ironic how the Cullens didn't eat human food but cooked like gourmet chefs.

"Our pleasure," said Esme. Carlisle smiled.

I could hear Edward playing my song on the piano in the living room.

"You know, not that you're cooking isn't delicious, but I don't want to be a burden. I can cook. You guys don't have to worry about that, you've done so much already," I said. I rose to wash my dish, but Carlisle quickly took it away from me, and began washing it along with the other dishes.

"Bella, really it's no trouble at all. If anything, you bring life into our lives. We enjoy doing things for make us feel…human again," insisted Esme. I smiled in gratitude. Then I heard Edward stop playing. He hurried into the kitchen, holding on to the sides of his forehead with his middle finger and thumb, almost as though he had a headache. Of course, I knew he didn't.

"Get ready," he warned, speaking more to Carlisle and Esme.

"Are you okay?" I asked with worry. I walked to him and put my hand on his forehead.

"Rosalie?" asked Carlisle, as he put a pot away.

"Her thoughts are so overpowering. It's like she's screaming into my head," sighed Edward as he closed his eyes. Esme sighed as well.

"And Emmett?" Edward stood quiet in concentration.

"I haven't been able to hear his thoughts in a long time; he's gotten pretty good at hiding them. That's why I was so worried earlier when I heard his thoughts about you. I can't hear them again…but Rosalie is really mad and happy…she's hurt him."

"What?" I asked in alarm. "Where is he?" He closed his eyes again.

"I can only hear Rosalie's thoughts, and...she's running over here. She left him alone..."

"I'm going to go see if he's okay," I said, slipping on my shoes.

"Absolutely not, Bella. You have to get out of here as quickly as possible." Edward said. I looked at him. Emmett was hurt. Why weren't they checking on him?

"GO!" he urged. "You haven't seen Rosalie when she's like this."

"You mean, she's worse then she already is?" I asked in amazement

"GO! Get out of here!" he said again. I nodded and started running. Just as I did I heard a loud boom, and the crash of glass shattering into tiny pieces.

"ROSALIE, CALM DOWN," demanded Carlisle.

"What's the matter with you this time?" I could hear Esme ask. Edward began to laugh loudly.

"Can you really be this self-centered, Rosalie? You do realize this argument is about your hair, right?"

I heard another series of crashes as things slammed against the floor and walls. And then I heard a hiss.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING, EDWARD. FUCK OFF. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME," bellowed Rosalie. More breaking. My hand reached out to grab the doorknob, but Edward's voice stopped me. He must have read her thoughts again.

"Rose…you know that can't happen...you know you can't be a mother." I could hear the pain in Edward's voice; he really pitied her.

* * *

**EMMETT'S P.O.V**

I balled my hands into fists. I could feel my rage growing. I didn't even notice that my nails were digging into my palm so hard I had marks.

I just didn't understand what to do anymore. I had tried to work things out, I'd tried to make things what they used to be. I looked at my arm; of course, the wound had already begun to heal. It was still open, but not as deep as it had been. I took a deep breath to try and calm myself.

"Emmett?" I turned and saw Bella, and a sense of calmness washed over me. I was strangely happy to see her. "Are you okay?" I saw her look down at my arm, and her eyes widened. "Oh my God! Does it hurt?" She grabbed my arm and ran her finger down the wound.

Her touch was so warm and comforting. I closed my eyes for a second to enjoy it fully. She continued to look at my arm and rub the wound. As she did it continued to heal, but somehow I felt good, better than I would have otherwise.

I couldn't move, I couldn't say anything. She was showing me something I hadn't had in a long time: care. The knowledge that someone wanted to know about me.

She looked up and I stood still. It felt like our eyes were locked on one another; I didn't want to look away. I had a sudden urge to just grab her and kiss her, to hold her and press her to me, to tell her about these weird feelings and thoughts I was having for her.

The sound of glass breaking broke us out of our reverie. We both looked at the house, and saw that Rosalie had thrown an armchair out of the window. I shook my head to clear it as much as at Rosalie's behavior.

"I have to get out of here," I said, beginning to walk towards the jungle like mass."I'll see you later."

"Wait! Take me with you," said Bella. I didn't stop. I needed some time to think. This was all wrong; Bella would only complicate the Rosalie situation. She was my brother's girlfriend. And I was married…to someone I thought loved me the way I loved her.

I could hear her running behind me, trying to catch up to my long strides. Her feet splashed against the wet sand.__

_**[Play the song FULL MOON by THE BLACK GHOSTS at this point]**_

"Emmett… Please." She grabbed my hand, and laced her fingers into mine.

I stopped.

"Please?" she said again.

I stared at her for a moment. When I heard something else break from the house.

I didn't bother to turn to look at the noise, nor did Bella. She continued to look into my eyes.

I grabbed her by one arm and pulled her on to my back.

"Hold on tight." I said

I felt as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. I grabbed on to her legs, that she had wrapped around my waist.

And began running. I didn't know where I was going. But I felt a rush, a volt of happiness, imagining myself running far, far away with her.

Everything seemed so new, so alive to me.

I could see every tree as I ran past them. I could hear and smell every living animal hiding around us. I could smell the water that we had left way behind at this point. Things I had always sensed but never cared to really notice.

And then I felt as Bella rested her head on my back. She held me tighter, almost as if she was hugging me.

I felt like a different person. For the first time in a very long time, not only was I happy, but I felt almost human.

I wasn't sure how far into the island I had gone. But I finally stopped.

I could feel as she looked up. And Slowly got off me.

"I can't really see anything." She said.

"Hold on." I said "Stay here. And don't be scared."

I quickly climbed up the closet tree, until I reached the top. And then removed several of the branches and leaves on it. I looked down, and could see the moonlight hitting Bella.

I jumped down and landed right in front of her.

"Better?" I asked

"Yeah. Thanks." She said. She seemed shy. But At least not scared. She pulled her hair to the back of her ear.

"Why did you want to come with me?" I asked.

"I… I don't know." She said not looking at me.

I grabbed her by the chin. And held her face up. I was so close to her face.

"Do I fascinate you? Do you feel charmed by our power over you humans?" I asked

"Yes…. No…" she said

I let go of her and sat down on a rock close.

She stood where she was. I looked to the side, I could see a fox watching us from its hiding place.

"Em-" she said as she tried walking towards me.

But of course, as always in her clumsiness she stumbled over her own feet.

I caught her just in time before she fell.

I held her head with one arm, as her back rested on my knee.

With the moonlight shining on her, I could see every vein running though her neck and chest.

Every beautiful pulsing movement her heart created.

I held her closer to me. Not once did she take her eyes away from mine.

I lifted my hand to her neck and caressed it.

She closed her eyes and shuddered.

"You need to be more careful." I said smiling down to her.

"Emmet" she said.

"Mm?" I responded with.

"Do… _I_… fascinate.. _you?" she asked._

I swallowed. And licked my lips. "More then you can imagine. You know... I never understood Edward... until now."

I leaned closer to her and kissed her lips lightly.


	9. Edward's Timing

**EMMETTS P.O.V**

I pulled away from the kiss, and Bella's body felt limp and heavier then it had earlier, even though she wasn't very heavy to begin with. I looked down to see her reaction, but her eyes were closed.

"Bella?" I asked. Nothing. I shook her lightly, but she didn't open her eyes. I felt a trickle of panic-was she dead?-before I realized what had happened. I began to laugh, not being able to stop…I had made her faint! I wasn't worried because I knew this was something she'd done before with Edward; he'd told us about it. It only made her that much more attractive.

* * *

**BELLAS P.O.V**

"... I never understood Edward... until now." Emmett said.

A chill ran down my back. I felt my right arm shake. I could feel my body floating, as if a high. Almost like after one runs a mile non stop, after not doing it in a long time. And it feels like your having a dreaming out of body experience.

I couldn't believe what he had just told me. I didn't move, it's not that I couldn't. It's that I didn't want to, because Emmett was coming closer to me. His cold lips touched mine, parting them slightly, I got hit by his sweet scent. Causing me to feel dizzy, and light headed. I could feel my eyes beginning to slightly roll back. Luckily I was not on my feet.

And then… nothing.

…...

I'm not too sure what happened, because one moment I was feeling what Rosalie did for years. His lips, his cold yet wonderful kiss. And then Emmett laughing without control, waking me from my short slumber with kisse on my forehead.

Blinking several times I looked around, reminding me that we were still deep in the island. I had never imagined that anyone could buy something as big and beautiful as this place. For _one_ person, it had to be as big as Puerto Rico.

"Emmett?" I asked. "What happened? Why are you laughing?"

Emmett chuckled hugging me closer up to him. I had never felt this side of him. So now that he and I have kissed, did this change things? Did he just do it out of the moment? Was he curious? Did he actually have some sort of feelings for me?

OR

Was he just as confused as me?

"You fainted." He was still inches from my face. "Human."

"So what now?" I asked

"What do you mean? He asked.

"I mean… why did you kiss me." I asked.

He smirked and held his forehead on to mine. Letting us stare into each others eyes closer.

"Why didn't you stop me?"

* * *

**EMMETTS P.O.V**

"Why didn't you stop me?" I asked her.

But my attention went out to the far end of the island. I could hear someone coming.

I stood Bella up.

"What's wrong?" she asked

"Someone's coming… quick wipe your lips and forehead with your hand. It will help take your scent instead of mine."

I turned my back to her.

"Who is it?" she asked.

I stood silent, because he was just about to reach the bushes.

"Bella?" Edward asked coming into the moonlight clear.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

Edward seemed to magically appear.

"Why are you two so far away?" he asked.

He reached me, then kissed my forehead and hugged me.

"You know how Rosalie gets to me, I wanted to get as far away as I could from her. Everyone else was busy with Rosalie, and Bella was nice enough keep me company. I figured you trusted me enough to keep her safe," answered Emmett.

I could feel my body breaking into a cold sweat, nervous from hoping Edward couldn't sense anything. He didn't. Edward kissed me again.

"Thank you, Bella." I didn't trust myself to speak. I nodded and turned to see Emmett, his back to us.

I began to compare them, as unfair as I realized it was. As Emmett leaned forward, I could see the outlines of his muscles through his shirt, how strong and built he was. Edward walked towards him. Unlike Emmett, Edward held a very slender figure, but was muscular nonetheless. He stopped right at the foot of the rock and patted Emmett's back.

"She's calm now, if you wanted to head back."

"Right," Emmett said sarcastically. I didn't know what to do with myself; should I walk towards them or stay were I was? It seemed like a family conversation, so I decided to just observe. Edward gave a small laugh.

"You know me too well, brother." Edward looked up to me and smiled. I took it as a sign for me to join in, so I walked over to Emmett and crouched down, at eye level with him. He returned the look after tilting his head to see if Edward was watching. I grabbed his hands into mine and smiled.

"She'll come around, Emmett. You're such a great guy. She would be crazy to let you go for what happened. You two have been together for so long," I squeezed my hands and continued to stare at me. I looked up at Edward and let go of Emmett's hands, a cold breeze around me. I hadn't thought it would be so cold at night. Edward noticed as soon as I rubbed my arms to warm them.

"Are you cold?"

"Yeah, I guess I am," I said, crossing my arms together.

"I'd better get you back to the house then." Edward reached out to grab my hand. His hand was cold, and still felt loving with mine. I expected to find some kind of warmth in Edward's hands; oddly enough, I usually did despite his cold skin. But his hands just made me colder. Something was different. I didn't have that feeling in the pit of my stomach, the one I'd just had with Emmett. He looked up at us and nodded.

"Thanks again, Bella. You really made me feel better. You're something else," he said, and there was a double meaning just for Emmett and myself.

"Isn't she?" Edward asked, oblivious, squeezing my hand lightly. "Now you know why I'm crazy about her."  
Emmett nodded once more.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked. Emmett shook his head.

"No. I think I'll stay out here a while longer."

"Be at ease, brother," said Edward. He pulled me up and onto his back. I wrapped my arms around him like I had with Emmett, and the difference in their build was obvious under my hold. Just before Edward could fly into his run I called out to Emmett.

"Emmett?" I called out. Edward turned around, so we were both facing Emmett. "If you ever need someone to cheer you up or need some advice, you can always count on me."

I'd chosen my words carefully because Edward was there. Emmett smiled.

"Thank you, Bella. If Edward's okay with it, we should go on a hike sometime. I really do need someone to talk to." Edward nodded.

"Of course, it is." Emmett smiled.

"Sleep well, Bells." I thanked him, before Edward turned and broke into a run back to the house.

"Thank you," said Edward. I rested my head on his shoulder.

"For what?"

"For being amazing. For being there for my family. I think you do us all well."

* * *

**EMMETT'S P.O.V**

I didn't move. I continued to keep my mind a solid state of blackness. I'd felt Edward trying to pry into my thoughts, but he left with no sucess. Even better,he hadn't found anything out of the ordinary with Bella.

I had kissed her...I had kissed Bella Swan. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face, so big I could feel my teeth touch the top of my bottom lips. I felt so great…because she felt great to me. I had never felt like this, at least not in this life. I couldn't explain it, this sort of happiness and rush of excitement in me. I felt pumped. Was this what all those girls at school referred to as "acting like a little school girl?"

I stood up laughing and climbed the same tree I had bared of its top. I sat down on a branch I knew would hold my weight and looked at the hand that had touched Bella. I brought it to my nose and sniffed it. It brought back the few seconds in which we had shared our kiss.

She hadn't stopped me, which I took to mean she wanted to kiss me too. She actually held some sort of emotion for me.

I looked around the island until I spotted Edward and Bella. I jumped down from the top of the tree, and my fist punched the ground first. I watched as small animals ran away frightened at the small shake. I looked up and zoomed off, vampire speed.

It only took a few seconds before I was kneeling in front of my small cubs. They had been wandering around, searching for somewhere to sleep. I picked one up from under its arms like a child and threw it up in the air.

"Wooooo!" I said, catching the frightened cub. Its sibling on the ground joined in his brother's frightened cries. I put the cub down and laid on the ground before them, and quickly they began attacking my arm. I chuckled, and began playing with them.

"What have you two been up to?" The cubs continued to wrestle with my arm. "Were you two ready to go to sleep?" I asked, as if they would answer me. They seemed to have become bored of my hand, and had begun to wrestle with each other.

I sat up on my knees. Before me was a rock, I was sure this would be good enough for them. I punched the rock with force, creating a hole, and slammed my fist through until the hole was big enough for them to walk into. Kneeling back, I admired my work.

"Well, guys, what do you think?" The cubs curiously walked towards it. They sniffed around to make sure it was safe, then cautiously entered.

* * *

**BELLA'S P.O.V**

After having said good night to Carlisle and Esme, Edward was letting me have my human moment.

I stepped into the shower and let the water hit me again. I closed my eyes and could see Emmett's face. I touched my lips, and smiled. I couldn't believe I kissed Emmett. Then my mind started wandering, what if Emmett and I… no.. who was I kidding, it was just a kiss. It couldn't lead to sex. If Edward was scared of killing me, then surely Emmett would think so as well. Either way, the thought excited me. I let my hand travel down my breasts to my stomach. I continued to run my hand down to my left leg. I ran my hand up and down.

"Bella?"

I opened my eyes as I heard Edward calling for me from the door.

"Yes?" I asked

"Can.. can I come in?" Edward asked

"Yes." I said turning off the water. I grabbed my hair into a bundle and squeezed some of the water out.

I grabbed the towel I had placed on the sink, next to the shower and wrapped it around myself. As Edward walked in he smiled. He came to me and kissed me.

"Whats up?" I asked him

"I was thinking about it… and I think your right. It's time." He said

I was confused at first, then I realized what he was talking about.

"…Really?" I asked

"Yes." Said Edward kissing me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and our kiss continued. As we both moved together in our kiss, out the bathroom and towards the bed. My towel fell to the ground, the cool air, and the touch of his skin on my bare skin made my nipples harden. A thrill ran through out my body, to between my legs.

Edward pushed me to the bed. He got over me and continued our kiss. My heart began beating fast. I completely forgot about Emmett. I wanted to do this. I began pulling at Edwards shirt he was wearing. He let me pull it over his head. I ran my hands down his back. Something hard was rubbing against my leg. I felt as Edward moved his mouth to my neck, he ran his tongue up my neck, giving my goose bumps. I became more excited.

This was the moment I had been waiting for...


	10. Painful desire

**EMMETT'S P.O.V.**

"They'll be fine. They're asleep now. I'll bring them some food tomorrow when they wake up," I said to myself. Once again, I broke into a run, away from the cubs, away from where I'd had my kiss with Bella.

The dirt around the trees gradually became sand. The sand castle the others had built earlier was becoming wholly visible quickly. As I neared it, I could see something far out in the water. I stood right where the dark water washed onto sand. At this hour, it gleamed with the light of the full moon, the very moon that had allowed me to see how beautiful and tempting Bella was.

The water levels swayed, causing the water to rise further along the sand. Two figures were now leaping high up in the air and aimed to land near me. Alice and Jasper.

"How was the catch?" I asked. Alice licked her lips; her clothes were stained with animal blood.

"I really needed it. I couldn't even control my mess. It was almost unbearable to stand next to Bella earlier."

"I know what you mean," I said, crossing my arms, looking at my shoulder.

"Oh, do you?" Alice asked.

"Mmhmm." I tried to reply casually.

"Explain," said Jasper. I looked at both of them. Both had their arms crossed, mirroring my stance, but unlike Alice, Jasper's head was tilted slightly back and he looked expectant, waiting to be amused. I sighed and rubbed my eyes, like I even needed to. It was such a human gesture.

"Fine. But don't tell Edward," I demanded. Alice  
giggled.

"He's going to be busy, we won't be able to tell him." Jasper smirked. I had no idea what they were talking about so I brushed it off and continued what I had begun to say.

"I thought I was going to kill her."

Alice uncrossed her arms and gasped. Jasper was indifferent.

"What?" Alice nearly shouted. I proceeded to explain what had happened, of course leaving out the tension and the whole dazzling part.

"You need to be more careful…now I understand," Alice said to Jasper. Jasper nodded.

"See, now you don't have to worry about it anymore. Nothing happened." He hugged her tightly with one arm. My eyebrows knit together in puzzlement.

"What?" I asked.

"I had this vision…with you and Bella...Edward was really sad," she said. I became suddenly flushed with worry. Fuck! Does this mean he's going to find out about me and Bella kissing? I thought to myself.

"I told Alice that maybe the reason she saw him so sad was that you had...killed Bella." Jasper said the last two words slowly, as though it hurt him just to say it. Instead of me being offended, however, a flow of relief ran through me.

"Oh, Emmett. I'm sorry, I know you would never do anything like that," said Alice, coming over to me and hugging me tightly. "I bet I annoy you with how motherly I can get sometimes."

"Not as annoying as Rosalie can get. I can handle anything after dealing with her," I said jokingly. Alice was far from annoying, actually. I loved Alice; she was like that little annoying fairy I had once read from a child's book-cute, free spirited, and always in a magical mood.

Jasper closed his eyes and smiled, probably thinking of something funny.

"What are you laughing at?" I asked him Alice also turned to look at him with the question on her face. Jasper looked at me and smiled, baring me his teeth.

"Six months." Alice covered her mouth and tried to stifle her laughter.

"Six months?" I asked. "What is he talking about?" Alice continued to cover her mouth, shaking her head. Her short hair moved with her, gliding from side to side and highlighting her high cheekbones. Jasper grinned.

"You will become quite fond of your writing hand." It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about.

"WHAT!" I bellowed. Jasper broke into a loud laugh

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

It felt like every drop of blood in my body was rushing to my face. I felt flushed, but the coldness of his body gave me goosebumps. As he kiced off his silky black boxers my heartbeat began to quicken; even I could hear it. And if I could, I knew without a doubt Edward could too.

I had never seen him naked. Compared to Edward's body, my skin was a lively white, turning red with the heat I felt for Edward. His was a dead, pale color, unchanging, unblemished.

"Are you sure?" I whispered. I immediately regretted my question, just in case he wasn't sure. Luckily, however, he simply answered by maintaining our kiss. I ran my right hand up and down his back, and my left hand reached down for him. My warm touch on his cold body made his back arch up and away from me, involuntarily, as though my touch was burning him, unbearable. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth slightly, so that I could see his teeth. I had never seen them shaped the way they were now. They weren't fangs, but they weren't the solid, flat shape I normally saw on him. He didn't say anything, so I took this as a good sign that I should continue what I was doing.

I wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly since I had never been with a man in this sense. I'd heard lots of things and I tried to remember what I needed to do, and continued to stroke him. But my hand was quickly becoming tired.

"Edward?" I said. He finally opened his eyes and looked at me.

I couldn't believe I was actually about to do this with Edward Cullen, the man I loved so intensely and who loved me back in kind. Two years ago, there was an endless line of girls in Forks willing to kill for his attention. And he had picked me, out of all of them. It was literally a dream come true.

"Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Can you umm…you know...already?" I said, looking down.

"What? Oh…OH! Yeah, yes, of course." He sounded nervous. After all, this was his first time too.

I put my hands by my head. In my shyness I looked away, not wanting to look down at him or what we were going to do. It didn't make sense, but this was all new for me. My thoughts were interrupted when I shuddered at the coldness his erection created in contact with my skin.

"Ready?" he asked. His nervousness was obvious. For a second I wondered if he thought the same about me.

"Yes," I said, closing my eyes. I knew it was going to hurt.

"If I get out of hand or anything, please tell me."

"I will." My heart was racing. He made the motion to enter me.

"WAIT!" I said, louder than I intended. He looked back up at me.

"Huh?"

"Don't you need to put on a-" I stopped myself. "Of course you don't, you're a vampire, for god's sake. You can't cu-…" I said, almost to myself, but stopped as he continued to look at me in confusion.

"What?" he asked. He was very distracted. I smiled and shook my head.

"Nothing. Never mind." He nodded, and looked back down to place himself. I felt him pushing into him me; he was having a short struggle. I felt the opening of me loosen up a bit to let the head go in. I jumped at the shock of finally having it in. I looked at Edward when I heard him moan.

"Ooooh, it's…so…warm," he said slowly.

"This isn't too bad," I thought. But I had spoken too soon. He pushed himself in further, and the pain started building up. My eyes snapped shut, and involuntarily I moaned in pain.

Edward's inexperience, however, made him take my painful moan as one of pleasure. He went in deeper still, and then I felt it, a sharp pain inside of me as if I had just gotten cut.

I gasped in pain and tried my hardest to keep him from knowing I was in pain. He pulled out partially and slid back in. Again I tensed. He repeated his actions, in and out, and I could feel myself getting wetter. This must have created more warmth for Edward; he couldn't contain himself from leaning closer to my body and resting his forehead on my chest.

I could feel his cool breath blowing on me. He began to move a little faster. I closed my eyes; the pain was still there.

"All this pain for…this? Ow, it just hurts. What's all the rage and woo everyone always goes on about?" I thought.

"Are...you...okay..?" Edward asked as he continued to push in and out of me. He buried his face into my neck and didn't look at me.

"Yes," I lied. I looked to the side of our bodies when I heard something tearing. Edward was digging his fingers into the bed sheets and they were beginning to rip. Soon he would get through to the mattress.

Now I understood why he wouldn't look at me. He didn't want me to see "monster" as he called himself. I knew he was fighting himself, he was being as careful and gentle as he could possibly be, given what we were doing. I didn't want him to have to stop because of me.

As time went on the pain receded and all I felt was nothing, numbness. I enjoyed knowing that he was enjoying himself. I kept my arm wrapped around his slender body, being careful to insert a few well-placed moans here and there to encourage him. And then we heard a howl come from outside.

"WHAT!" followed by laughter. Edward stopped and jumped away from me, startled. I sat up.

"AH! Fucking Emmett!" growled Edward, running his hand through his hair. I jumped, not just at how quickly he'd pulled away, but at him cursing. I had never ever heard him swear before. He walked back and I was finally able to see him fully nude.

His whole body was the same pale color as his face. He had a perfectly toned slender figure. And then my eyes widened slightly. I had stroked him, but I hadn't thought he was as big as he was. In addition, his pale erection showed signs of blood. My blood.

"Oh God." I said, looking down at myself. There were traces of blood spotting the sheets of his bed. I looked up at Edward, and began feeling dizzy at the sight of my blood. For the second time that day, I blacked out.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

"Six months?" I grabbed Alice by the shoulders and shook her. "SIX MONTHS? FUCK! Not again!"

Jasper laughed harder. I was glad he was finding this so funny.

"Sorry, Em. But you know how she is," Alice said. Now, I know many humans can go without sex for longer periods of time, but for vampires, this is truly a punishment. Both passion and pleasure had equal appeal to us as blood did. As a very sexual being, Rosalie's cutting me off was like torture.

"Well…see you later." Alice grabbed Jasper's hand and they began walking away.

"Wait, where are you two going?" I asked.

"Not all of us on the island are punished like you," chuckled Jasper as he picked Alice up in his arms and ran off with her.

"Ugh," I said. I looked up to the moon, its position had changed. In less then three hours the sun would soon be coming up.

Wait…he said not all of us…did that mean Bella and Edward too…but Edward wouldn't...not yet...right?

"He's going to be busy, we won't be able to tell him." I repeated Alice's words to myself and finally understood what they'd been talking about earlier.

"No," I whispered. I could feel the rage building up.

* * *

**A/N**

So I know Bella's and Edwards sex scene was not romantic. But instead a bit awkward. But remember, this was both their FIRST TIMES, and I know I know, I could have made it seem like Bella was having the best time of her life. But I'm basing her first time realistically as I feel. And if you might know, it just gets better after the first few times.


	11. Virgin's Blood

**BELLA'S POV  
**

I felt something cold wiping my forehead softly. I opened my eyes slowly and saw Esme patting my forehead with a wet towel.

"There. See, I told you she was fine, Edward." I looked over Esme's shoulder and saw Edward look me over carefully, as though he didn't believe Esme. His hand was balled into a fist and resting on his mouth. He was fully dressed again; I looked down at myself and saw that I had also been dressed. New sheets were covering me.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I asked Edward. I looked at Esme uncomfortably, after I realized she must know about what had happened. Edward put his hand down and walked to Esme.

"Thank you," he said to her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Bella. You're awake." Carlisle smiled as he entered the room carrying a cup of tea. I could see the steam rising from the cup. "See, son, she's fine."

Edward just nodded and stared off into space.

"Drink this." Carlisle handed me the cup. I took the cup from him and looked at them both. I could feel myself beginning to blush. Carlisle smiled and touched my cheek.

"We'll leave you two alone." He and Esme left the room together without a word. The cup of tea smelled lovely. I took a sip and put it down on the nightstand next to me. Edward was still staring off, and he hadn't looked me in my eyes since I'd woken up. Something felt wrong.

I looked through the window and noticed that the sun was coming up soon, which meant that it had been a while since Edward and I had been having sex.

"I'm sorry," said Edward. I looked at him and grabbed his hand, pulling him down so he could sit by me.

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I hurt you," He looked down at our hands. I began to laugh.

"No, Edward, you didn't hurt me. I was a virgin. That's supposed to happen to us human girls when we have sex for the first time. We bleed." For being such an old vampire, there were some things he still needed to learn.

He paused. "I tasted it."

I stared at him, kind of grossed out. The thought of him tasting blood coming out of there was…strange.

"Ew." I couldn't help it. "Wait…you licked some off of me?"

"I was...curious. It smelled different...sweeter." He shook his head in defeat. "I told myself I would never drink your blood again, never, not after that time with James."

"Virgin blood." I said, looking away from him. "I guess I can understand a little, with you being a vampire and all." I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Edward was beyond that. He wrapped his arm around me and hugged me.

"I'm sorry. I won't ever do it again, not while you're in this state," he said. I pulled away.

"What? Why not?"

"I don't want to hurt you ever again. I thought I wasn't going to be able to control myself during it. I fought so hard to not get out of hand. And I promised myself, Bella, that I would never taste your blood again. It's too dangerous." He was looking at the bed.

"But you didn't hurt me!" I insisted. I hadn't exactly enjoyed it, but he had been more gentle than most human men would probably be. And I liked knowing that he liked it, knowing he was my first and vice versa. Besides, didn't it get better the more you did it?

"Bella…I-I need some time to think right now...okay? I'll be back soon," he said.

"Well, I'll wait up for you, and we can talk this out after you've gathered your thoughts."

"No, Bella, that's not what I mean. I won't be back today. I have to focus and I can't when I'm around you."

"You're leaving?" I was in a state of disbelief.

"I'll be back. I just need some time to myself." He kissed my forehead and turned to leave. I grabbed his wrist.

"You're leaving because I gave you myself and bled, even though I'm supposed to?" I asked, upset. He was going to leave me again?

"It's more than that," he said. For some reason, this was the last straw.

"FINE! GO!" I said, throwing his arm away from me.

"Bella, understand me, please. I'm-"

"GO!" I repeated. I could feel myself on the verge of tears. "I should never have given myself to you."

His face fell. "Bella, please, try to understand-"

"I understand enough to know you did it once and you almost lost me. But if you don't care about that, then GO!" I screamed. He looked at me sadly for a second and walked to the door, opened it, and stopped once more to look at me.

"I love you, Bella."

Then he stepped out and closed the door. I grabbed the cup of hot tea and threw it after him. The cup shattered into pieces, and bounced onto the floor; hot tea splashed everywhere. I laid back down and sobbed into my pillow.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

I walked towards the house slowly, mad beyond belief. I shouldn't have been mad, I knew that. I knew Bella was Edward's. And I knew it was bound to happen. I mean, they were in a relationship after all.

But knowing they actually had sex got to me. Jasper and I had picked on her and Edward about their sexless relationship so many times.

I opened the door and saw Carlisle by the stove. He was pouring hot water into a cup. A sweet scent wafted around me as I walked by.

"Morning, Emmett," he said putting the pot back on the stove.

"Morning," I said, serious. "What's that for?" I asked, pointing out the cup of tea he was holding.

"It's for Bella. She isn't feeling very well."

"What's wrong with her?" I asked, worried.

"It's between her and Edward," he said in a tone I knew not to push anymore. He walked away with the tea towards Edward and Bella's room. I looked around the kitchen and didn't know what to do.

Carlisle's words were like a confirmation. I felt like punching something, taking out my anger somehow. I walked towards the living room and saw Rosalie reading a book. I looked at her and began to turn away before I took my anger out on her and made our situation worse.

"In case you were wondering what all the fuss is about, the human fainted. On the first time she has sex. Pathetic," she said, bored already. She didn't even look up at me from her book. Having her remind me of something I'd been trying to ignore made my blood boil.

"HER NAME...IS BELLA!" I bellowed angrily. She looked up, surprised. I had never used this sort of tone with her.

"WHAT'S IT TO YOU?" she demanded.

"Look, I'm tired of your crappy attitude, Rosalie. And you're just going to have to learn to live with her, because she's here to stay. She's family," I said.

"How dare you try to include her as if she was actually important," Rosalie hissed. "I don't understand what Edward ever saw in her." I was about to say something when I heard Esme hiss at her.

"ROSALIE!" I turned to Esme, Carlisle was standing next to her. I rested my hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine, Esme. She's always going to be a miserable…bitch." I said.

"How dare you!" Rosalie said, standing up. The book fell on to the floor.

"Emmett, don't speak like that," Carlisle told me. I shook my head and walked around them, leaving them with Rosalie. I walked back to the kitchen and saw Edward. He was walking slowly, his gaze on the floor in front of him.

I didn't know how to react. A moment ago I'd been angry, but now I could tell something had gone wrong. I was curious to find out about Bella's state.

"What's the matter?" I asked him. Edward shook his head.

"I'm going away for a bit. I need some time to think…can you look after her for me?" He didn't need to tell me who he was talking about.

"What? Why are you leaving?" I asked confused.

"I-I just need time to think," he repeated. Edward looked lost. "Will you watch over her for me?"

"Yes, you know I will," I said firmly. "But where are you going?"

"Thank you." He ignored my last question, walked to the door, opened it, and ran off. I looked over to their room and noticed something coming out from under the door. Something liquid. I slowly walked towards the door, occasionally looking over my shoulder to make sure no one could see me.

Luckily, everyone was trying to deal with Rosalie. I got to the door, bent down, and smelled the liquid; it was the same thing Carlisle had been pouring into the cup. I grabbed the doorknob but didn't twist it open. Instead, I stood there and listened. I could hear someone crying.

What the hell happened? I thought to myself. I knocked gently and slowly opened the door. Bella was lying on the bed in the fetal position. The noises were definitely coming from her. Her right arm was covering her face from view.

I stepped in; one foot crunched onto the broken pieces of teacup and the other into a puddle of tea. I closed the door.

"GO AWAY, EDWARD!" she screamed.

"It's me," I said, walking over to her. I stood right next to the bed. She looked up at me and sat up. Her nose and eyes were red. I had never seen her cry. It upset me to see her sad and hurt, but I couldn't help loving how she looked. It was so...human, her color, the ability to cry at all.

"Oh, Emmett." Bella wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my stomach. I brushed her hair with my hand.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly.

"I don't want to talk about it. I just need someone to hold right now." She hugged me harder. I looked at the bed and closed my eyes to shake the thought that they'd had sex on this very bed, in this very room. He was able to be with her, lay by her side while she slept, caress her, watch her sleep. As lucky as I thought he was I couldn't help but think what an idiot he was for leaving her like this.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

My eyes were heavy and tired from crying. I hated that Emmett could see me like this. Rosalie never cried, so trying to look perfect like her was far beyond my power right now.

I squeezed my arms around Emmett harder. His stomach felt flat but hard under the white shirt he was wearing. He continued to play with my hair. I pressed myself even closer to his body.

Yes, I was devestated, but Edward wasn't here to comfort me, to console me, to tell me he loved me. Emmett was. And I didn't want to lose this moment. We stayed in our hug until the door swung open.

Alice and Jasper came in and stopped as soon as they saw us. I pulled away from Emmett as he stepped away from me.

"Where's Edward?" asked Alice. I looked at her and then at Jasper. Neither seemed concerned with what they had just seen.

"He left a while ago," Emmett said. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. One minute I was able to see him, then it all went blank."

"Is he in danger?" I asked quickly.

"We know he isn't in danger, but we don't know where he went to disconnect himself from Alice. She's developed this bond with us all over time, and if she can't sense one of us, it throws her off. We need him,"  
Jasper said, more to Emmett then to me.

"We've already spoken to Carlisle, and we told him we were going to go look for Edward. Come on," said Alice to Emmett.

"I can't," I heard Emmett say to them. I looked up at him as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "I told him I'd look out for Bella."

Alice looked over at Jasper. "Very well. I'll ask Rosalie then." She sprinted away.

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked, finally noticing my red  
eyes. I nodded.

Jasper nodded once, then turned to Emmett and said, "Control yourself." He followed his wife, closing the door once again.

"What was Jasper talking about?" I asked Emmett.

"It's nothing," he said quickly. I knew he was lying.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

"Bella, would you like to come with me?" I asked her.

"Where?"

"I want to show you something. Maybe it'll cheer you up," I smiled. She thought about it.

"Okay."

"I'll wait for you outside." She nodded and stood up. She began putting her hair into a high messy ponytail. She had on a pair of light blue pants and a white and blue baseball top. As I closed the door behind me, I ran into Jasper.

"Rosalie decided she would come with us," he said. "I thought you would like to know."

"Whatever," I mumbled. I was about to walk past him when he grabbed my arm.

"Don't think I don't know what's going on, Emmett," he said in a low voice.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, praying he wasn't talking about what I thought he was.

"Quit the horseshit, brother. I can feel it. You…Bella," he said, staring into my eyes.

"You're wrong. Bella is Edward's." I pulled my arm away from his strong grip. I kept on walking but stopped when he spoke again.

"Fine. Continue to deny it. I won't say anything, and you're lucky I haven't seen anything wrong that Edward might see in my thoughts. Or that Alice hasn't seen anything with her gift. I just hope you resolve this all by the time we get back."

Jasper walked past me without turning to see my reaction. I followed behind him into the kitchen and joined the others. Esme was telling Alice to be careful, and asking if everything was okay.

"Yes. I just can't be at peace. It makes me nervous, not being able to see Edward. Especially after the vision I told you I had."

I stepped closer and Rosalie grunted. "Can we please leave already? I smell an asshole here." She looked at me.

"Rose!" Carlisle warned her.

Jasper kissed Esme on the cheek and hugged Carlisle, still avoiding me.

"Rose sweetheart, see you soon." Esme said to her. I figured then that she might be coming back on her own.

"Ready?" he asked Alice. She nodded, walked over, and hugged me.

"See you soon." I nodded. I looked over to Rosalie and wished her a safe trip, which, of course, she ignored and walked out the door followed by Alice and Jasper. Their skin sparkled as they walked out into the sun. I watched until they were no longer visible.

"What vision did Alice have?" I asked Esme.

She sighed. "We are going to be at war with the Quileute tribe."

"What? Why?"

"We're not sure yet," answered Carlisle. "But without Edward, Alice can't see what happens to us all anymore. She doesn't have the big picture. You know how strong of a bond we have together. Without one, we have a huge hole in our defense."

"That's why Alice and Jasper asked Rosalie to join them. They'll be fine; as of right now, the Quileutes have no reason to attack," said Esme.

"But why can't she see him anymore? Is he with the La Push mutts?" I asked. Carlisle gave me a warning look at the last word. "I meant the La Push Quileutes."

"We think he is just blocking himself. His ability has become stronger against hers. And right now he's upset with himself. He doesn't want to be found until he clears some things up," said Carlisle.

I stood quietly, taking it in. Why the hell would we go to war with the mutts of La Push? Unless Edward was stupid enough to cross their territory. Or…transform Bella…but he wouldn't do that. He valued her life too much.

"Is Bella okay?" Esme interrupted my thoughts.

"She's just sad," I answered.

"Are you fine?" I sighed.

"There's more to worry about now than my marriage with that woman."

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Look, Emmett, we know you two have never really had the healthiest relationship, but you need to make peace amongst yourselves. For the sake of us all. What happened? You two were like newlyweds at first."

"I know, I know," I said, rubbing the back of my neck in frustration. I turned as I heard a pair of footsteps behind me. Bella walked in shyly.

"Bella, dear, are you hungry?" Esme asked her.

"No, thank you. I'm fine." She smiled her gratitude, then turned to me. "Are you ready?"

"Where are you two headed?" Esme asked.

"I want to show Bella around the island to...distract her. And it's probably not such a bad idea if I get out of here myself," I said. Carlisle and Esme nodded in approval.

"That's an excellent idea. Should I pack you a lunch, dear?" Esme asked Bella.

"It's okay, I'll do it. Gives me a chance to try out the kitchen. Can't be that hard, can it?" I said confidently.

"Uh oh." Carlisle teased. Esme and Bella laughed.

Not to long after, we were ready to go.

"You two have fun. Carlisle and I will be putting the finishing touches on the castle. We'll see you later," said Esme as she kissed Bella's cheek.


	12. My Angels Tale

**EMMETT'S POV**

"I won't let anything happen to her," I insisted, handing Esme back the first aid kit. She had tried to give it to me discreetly. Esme looked at Bella embarrassed, because she knew Bella was ashamed of her known clumsiness.

"You know how she is," whispered Esme to me. Bella looked at both of us, her face red. Carlisle, whose hearing was sharper than Bella's, chuckled.

"I don't try to get hurt all the time," Bella said.

"On second thought..." I grabbed the first aid kit and stuffed it into the already bulging bag.

"We'll be back before eight," I said to Carlisle and Esme. She was fussing over Bella.

"Oh, please, do take good care of yourself. Bella. Emmett can get...enthusiastic on hikes. He doesn't know how much you can take, so any time you need a break, tell him. We don't want to send you back to Chief Swan in bad condition."

"I know she's not a camel, of course she'll need to stop for a drink and food," I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

Before Esme could make any more protests, I looked at Carlisle and gave him a pleading look.

"Esme, she'll be fine. She's in good hands," he said to her. Esme looked at me and smiled gently.

"I know, Emmett, I'm sorry. It's just I wouldn't want her to wind up staying in bed for the rest of the vacation. We have so much more time here."

"Okay, okay, bye now," I said, rushing Bella out the door before Esme could change her mind.

"Why are we taking so much food? We're not going hiking for a month. I don't eat that much," Bella asked, offense clearly in her voice.

"You'll see. Ready?" I asked.

"For what? You don't expect me to think you're going to carry that heavy bag and me? That thing is as big as my laundry bag!" I looked at her amused.

"Bella. Vampire, remember? Unhuman strength. Plus, this is me we're talking about. Not only tall, handsome, and muscular, but strongest." I tried to make her laugh as I pointed at myself.

"Okay, okay, I get it." She climbed onto my back when I kneeled down. I wrapped the strap of the bag around my arm so I could hold onto Bella's legs. "Ready."

She wrapped her arms around my neck. I smiled as it brought back memories of last night.

"Hold on tight," I said as I ran towards the trees. The animals that came out at night were different than in the morning.

"So where exactly are we going?" she asked again.

"I have a nice day planned out. But first I want you to meet two of my friends." I ran around and past trees, making sure not to pass any low branches that could hit Bella.

"How do all these animals survive while you guys are gone?" she asked. I wasn't sure if she was genuinely curious or didn't want any awkward silences.

"Well, I won't lie and say that most of them are just for 'decoration.' When we can't find a good hunt or our favorite animal we hunt down the ones here. That means we have to make sure they're healthy so we have to bring animals that they can hunt. And just like humans and vampires, they have sexual desires, so they mate and reproduce. If we kill one, chances are there will be others. So we don't really worry if we hunt one or two on our visits." I paused and adjusted the bag. I had slowed down, but my pace was still faster than a human's. "We all brought our favorite animal here, except for mountain lions. They're way too dangerous for the other animals."

"Interesting," she said. I noticed she had stiffened when I mentioned vampires having sexual desires.

"Here we are." I began to slow down, then stopped right at the foot of the small cave I had made for the cubs. I made sure Bella had her feet planted firmly on the ground before putting the bag next to her, then got down on all fours to look into the small cave.

They weren't there. Maybe the hole I'd made went deeper than I thought. I stuck my head in . Bella giggled.

"Emmett, what are you doing?" she asked. I realized how stupid I must look with my head and shoulders in the cubs' home. Her voice was faint and created a small echo with the walls of the rock. I crawled back out and saw that Bella had opened up the bag to set out the blanket I had brought.

She sat down and pulled out the small Tupperware container in which I'd packed lasagna, one of many things I'd brought along. I watched as she took a bite of it, closed her eyes, and smiled.

"Mmm. This is good, Em."

"There's a lot more in there," I said, looking around for the cubs. "Where are they?"

"Who are you looking for?" Her gaze shifted to something behind me, and her eyes widened. I turned to see what she was looking at, guessing maybe one of the panthers or other wild animals had  
smelled the food and come.

But instead I saw the small cubs sniffing the air. They'd smelled the food, alright.

"OH, EMMETT! THEY'RE ADORABLE!" she exclaimed.

"There you guys are!" I said, walking to them, but they ran past me and towards Bella.

"Aww, they're hungry." She petted one; they both fought over whose face would dig into the container first.

"Hey! Hey, hey, guys, no! That's Bella's. I brought you guys your own food." I knelt down on the blanket and reached into the bag to pull out some of the ham I had packed. Bella giggled as the cubs ran towards me and snatched the whole bag of ham.

"Wow, they're really hungry," she said. I chuckled as I watched them scurry off to eat.

"They forgot their honey," I said and pulled out a small container I had poured it into.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"So did you bring me all the way out here to show me bears?" I asked. "Not that I don't like them or anything like that."

"Yes, Bella. I brought you all the way out here to stare at bears for hours and hours," Emmett grinned.

"Really? Well, I was going to say I've been seeing this one bear around for a while now." I smiled at him mischievously.

"Are you calling me a bear?" he asked.

"Perhaps," I said, watching him crawl on all fours growling. I watched as the two small cubs popped their heads out from between the bushes, curious. Emmett turned to look at them and growled again. I assumed they would run away in fear, but they charged right at him instead, roaring back.

"Oh, shit," said Emmett, surprised at their attack. He sat back quickly in a speed that not only surprised me, but the cubs as well. They scurried away again.

"Awww, looks like Emmett the big bear is scared of his little cubby friends," I said in a baby voice. He got on all fours again and growled at me. The sight of it made me giggle.

"You think this is funny, huh?" he said. And then he pounced, which made me scream and fall back. I felt his hand catch the back my head before it hit the ground.

"Rawr." He made a face at mine. I continued to laugh so hard that I could feel myself getting hot and my stomach was beginning to hurt.

"Ow," I said in between laughs, as I grabbed my sides. When I finally managed to control myself, I looked up at Emmett. "What?" I smiled and watched him study my face.

"Your face is red."

"Oh." I felt embarrassed. Again, I was so human.

"You look beautiful," said Emmett. I snorted.

"You're married to Rosalie. She's the beautiful one." I waited for his response, but he was silent, which I understood to mean that he did think Rosalie was prettier. It made me feel self-conscience; I knew I wasn't nearly as pretty as Rosalie, but no girl ever wants to hear an agreement on something like that, even if they know it's true. Finally his face lit up with a smile.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked him slowly, still hurt. He nodded, his eyes focused on my neck. I could see his jaw tighten as he swallowed hard.

"If I accepted…would you bite me?" I asked him. He looked away from my neck to my eyes and paused.

"No."

When he said this, I felt an overwhelming serenity come over me; I felt secure and safe.

He was close enough for me to smell, that thrilling, dangerous, controlling sweetness. All I wanted to do was kiss him again. I licked my bottom lip.

"Why not?" I asked. Wild ideas ran through my mind, things I knew wouldn't, couldn't happen with Emmett. But even this knowledge couldn't keep me from getting excited, like I had with Edward last night.

"Why would you want to become one of us?" he asked. I could hear the curiosity burning in his question.

"I'd be beautiful, strong, and able to live a long life with you guys." He looked away, thoughtful.

"You have your own beauty to me, Bella. And without a doubt for Edward as well." I thought back to my thoughts about Rosalie. So maybe he didn't she was more beautiful, just beautiful in a different way.

"Like?" I asked, looking at his lips. I could feel my eyes narrowing slightly. He reached out to touch my neck with his cold hand, and I shuddered. I bared my neck to him even more without it even registering in my mind.

"Every single pulse and heartbeat that sounds through your body makes you beautiful. The fact that I can see every, single, enticing vein that carries a sweet flow of blood through your every limb, and the way every second draws you closer to a new age makes you...irresistable. You blush when you're embarrassed and your cheeks get rosy when you run out of breath. You're so fragile among a group of vampires with superhuman strength that we have to be aware all the time. The way you accept us so easily...really, I can go on and on."

The entire time he spoke, his voice grew softer and he came closer to my face. He ran his hand back and forth on my neck. I closed my eyes, and then felt his cold lips on my neck.

"Mmm," I let out. "Can I ask you another question?" He adjusted his position so he could look in my face, and brushed some of my stray hairs away.

"Anything."

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

I waited for Bella to ask me her question.

"You smell so sweet to me." She paused, and I smiled at her uncertainty.

"Is that your question?"

"No…I know vampires smell sweeter to us. But you...your smell is hypnotizing. You smell sweeter to me than Edward ever did."

I froze…had I heard her right? I felt my eyebrows narrow in surprise.

"Did you just say I smell sweeter to you than Edward ever did?"

She nodded. I got up from on top of her and sat on the ground next to us. My mind wandered off to a past memory:

Rosalie, the beautiful angel who saved me...a conversation I had with her after…after the day I had my first hunt...

"EMMETT, STOP! PLEASE STOP! YOU'RE JUST HURTING YOURSELF MORE!" begged Rosalie as she pinned me against the side of a tree. I struggled to push her off. I wanted her to let me go so I could run far away and die.

She only held on to me harder.

"Emmett, please." My beautiful angel's soft, pleading voice took away the last of my strength. I stopped trying to break away from her strong hold and looked up to the dark sky. The back of my head scraped against the tree trunk.

I could still smell the sweet blood on my clothes.

I swallowed hard and felt that distant, familiar feeling well up, but something inside of me had been lost. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't remember how to anymore.

"I couldn't help it, Rose! I just couldn't." I hung my head in defeat and self-loathing.

"I know. Oh, Emmett, I'm so sorry. I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't smell her as quickly as you did. Your senses are more sensitive than mine right now."

I banged my head back into the tree, making a loud thud.

I closed my eyes. I could still picture her. The tiny little human girl with golden curls. I had been so strong, and for the first time since my transformation, Rosalie had agreed to take me back out into the world, even if that meant the woods behind our home.

It had all been amazing. I was able to hear every single sound, from hearing the bee miles away, to smelling the nectar in a flower a city away. I was still like a newborn, so alert and easily startled by loud noises. I had yet to get used to these new sharp senses.

Rosalie thought it would be safe to start out in the woods. What she didn't plan on was the little girl who had became separated from her family...

"WOOOOO!" I howled, as I jumped from one tree to the other. I could hear Rosalie laughing from down below. I looked down at her and smiled. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen; I couldn't believe how lucky I had been to have my angel save me. I continued to jump from tree to tree, going further and further away from Rose.

Then I heard someone crying. I turned towards that direction without waiting for Rosalie. I still had human instincts; I heard crying and I wanted to help. I ran towards the cry and stopped on a tree branch right above a child.

"Moooommy!" screamed the little girl into the woods. Tears streaked her face, and she looked around in terror. She was wearing little black boots and brown shorts. Her black tank top had a butterfly on it, and her top was wrinkled and dirty. She'd been lost for a while. She had blond hair that fell around her face in tight curls. I looked down at her, intrigued. It had been such a long time since I'd seen a human.

"Why are you crying?" I asked from the tree. The little girl snapped her head up and squinted to see me even as the sun was hitting her face. Her round, blue eyes were red and watery, but when she saw me she gasped. Her mouth hung slightly open.

"Are you my guardian angel?" she asked, amazed. I gave her an odd look…her guardian angel?

"No." She stared at me a little longer.

"You're so beautiful," She sniffed through her tears. I looked down at myself and saw the sun hitting my skin. Of course I looked like an angel. I was sparkling. "Please help me find my mommy."

"What's your name?" I called down.

"Megan…I just want my mommy." She started crying again.

"How old are you?" I asked, curious.

"Seven."

I decided I'd jump down to get a closer look. When I landed, the little girl jumped back, frightened at the sudden and quick movement, and she fell. She gave a small yelp of pain.

"Ow." She lifted up her arm, and I could see a small cut on her elbow.

And then I smelled it. I inhaled hard, closing my eyes to take in the tempting scent. Her blood smelled so sweet I could almost taste it.

My mouth watered. I exhaled sharply, and opened my eyes. I vaguely remember trying to resist, and in the split second I allowed myself to think, "Maybe..." I gave up every last ounce of humanity. I pounced at her, and she gave one last frightened scream.

I lost it.

I swiftly dug my fangs right into her small neck. Her blood streamed into my mouth like a fountain. I could hear her gasping for air, struggling, thrashing around. I snapped her neck with my fangs still in her...

"Emmett, you couldn't help yourself. It's not your fault. It's who you are now. You just have to learn how to resist." Rosalie had tried to comfort me.

"How did you do it?" I was absolutely disgusted with myself. How could I have done that to anyone, much less such a beautiful little girl?

"Did what?" She tried to caress my face, but I shook her off.

"How did you save me? Didn't the blood make you hungry? How did you control this...appetite?" She loosened her grip on me and came closer.

"I smelled you from a distance. A female always becomes intrigued by the man she feels she's destined to be with. I had never smelled anything like you...your blood was so tempting to me. You were an object I wanted to keep, just for me. Only for me." She smiled gently...

I snapped back to the present. Bella was staring at me, worried.

"Are you okay?" she asked. I nodded and told her what Rosalie had said to me, leaving the young girl out.

"But I'm not a vampire."

"No, but I am. Maybe it worked the other way around with you. I mean, you're not exactly like other humans. There's something special about you. We can all feel it." She paused to think it over.

"Does that mean I'm...destined to be with you?"

I was silent.

"I…" But I couldn't think of any words to follow.


	13. Behind the waterfall

**BELLA'S P.O.V.**

"Emmett?" I asked, leaning forward. He looked lost in his own thoughts. He turned slowly and looked at me, studying my face, and I began to feel uncomfortable. And I could sense his discomfort. It was more obvious then I could take. I knew I'd caught him off guard and he didn't know what to say.

But as much as I was dying to know his answer, I knew not to rush him. At that moment, I really wished I knew what he was thinking. It didn't seem like he would answer, so all I could hope for was that this would be brought up again someday, maybe after he'd had time to think about it.

Thankfully, the two small cubs broke the silence.

"Have you named them?" I asked as they started biting at his hand.

"No, but I was thinking something along the lines of Beavis and Butthead." He was still lost in thought.

"That's terrible! How can you name these adorable, cute, baby cubs something so...not cute?"

I pet one of the cub's head. Its fur was soft and pleasant to my touch. It wrapped its arm around mine, trapping it and gnawing on my fingers. I pulled my hand away before it could hurt me on accident. Emmett chuckled and finally looked at me.

"Fine, then. You name them." He looked at me expectantly, amused. I looked away, and thought for a second. Finally, I knew what they would be.

"Pharaoh and Dynasty," I said decisively. He smiled and nodded. He stood up, and his face and exposed arms glittered in the sun. I watched him take his shirt off, and his overly-handsome face was perfectly paired with his amazing body.

I saw the shirt land next to the cubs' home from the corner of my eye; otherwise, my eyes were focused on him. He looked down at himself and wiped his chest, as though it had something on it.

I took my time looking at every part of him that showed. I was fully aware that he knew I was, but it didn't matter much anymore.

* * *

**EMMETT'S P.O.V**

I knelt down and picked up the bag I'd brought. I reached in and groped around until I felt a smooth, silky fabric. Bella looked at me curiously as I pulled out the black piece of clothing I'd packed for her.

As she recognized it was a bikini her expression changed.

"Where did you get that from?" she asked in horror.

"Alice has a ton of these things in one of her drawers. She doesn't like to wear the same bikini more than once." I tossed it to her. It landed on her lap, and she stared down at it for a moment.

"You want me to wear it?" she asked, looking up, her face red. "Did you guys ever think that maybe I packed my own swimsuit?"

"I didn't want to look through your things," I said innocently. "And yes, I do want you to wear it. There's this really beautiful waterfall a few minutes away. You have to see it."

"Then show me. I don't see why I have to wear this for that." She was being stubborn.

"We're going in for a swim, too."

"Um, well, I can't really swim all that great so..." she stammered, her face even more red then before.

"Bella. You swim perfectly fine." I knew what this was really about. "I already saw you in a bikini, and trust me, I'm not complaining." I smiled, then licked my top teeth as I made my eyebrows move up and down to make her laugh.

"Yeah, but being half naked in front of you…I don't have the best body."

I chuckled when I remembered Bella falling after I'd startled her and the strap of her sleeping gown had lowered. It had given me half a view of her chest; it had seemed pretty great then.

"You want me to take my shorts and boxers off? That way you won't feel like you're almost naked?"

Her eyes opened wide.

"How will your being naked make me feel any better? If anything you'll make me feel worse, because unlike me your body is perf-"

I cut her off by putting my hands around the elastic band of my shorts, ready to pull them down.

"You'll feel more dressed than me. I don't really care about being naked."

I pulled them down. She looked down quickly and swallowed, her eyes wide open, her face turning red again.

"WHOA, Emmett! No, no. It's okay, I'll put it on."

She had turned away, blocking me with her hand. She got up with the black bikini and walked away from me into the woods. I stood there alone, totally exposed, my shorts and boxers bunched around my feet.

I looked down at myself and grinned at how she'd reacted.

"Good impression for the first time, huh?" I said to myself as I bent down and pulled my shorts back up. It wasn't long before I heard her coming back.

"Emmett? Are you decent?" she called before coming into view. I looked up from the ground where I had laid on the blanket and laughed.

"Yeah." I could see her head but the rest of her body she hid behind a tree.

Bella slowly stepped out and walked towards me. I whistled.

"Sexy!"

And she did look stunning, so I stared a little longer so she would know I meant it. She smiled and blushed. I stood up and held my hand out for her to grab.

"You're going to love it. I promise." I leaned forward so she could get on my back easier. I didn't hear her approach me so I turned to look at her. Was she admiring my body?

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head and smiled. She moved forward and grabbed on. Her half-naked body on my bare back felt really warm to me. It was soothing. I grabbed her arms and moved them around my neck. I could feel a lot of heat coming from the lower part of her torso.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"Alright. Behave, you two!" Emmett said to the cubs.

I was quiet and held on to him tightly. He began running again, and my skin tightened in the chill of his speed, creating a cool air around us. I shuddered and sighed into his neck. He turned his head slightly to look at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a little cold from the breeze," I said.

"Sorry. We're almost there."

I kept my head close to his neck. The image of...him back there was still on my mind. I couldn't believe what I had seen. No wonder he and Rosalie broke houses.

As we got farther and farther into the woods, I could hear a sort of hissing, splashing noise, the sound of a lot of water.

"Here we are."

Emmett had stopped. I stretched my legs down and let go of his neck, in awe at how beautiful the clearing before me was.

A high mount of rock jutted out from the ground at one end of a pool of clear, aqua water, some parts of the rock darkened by moisture. A stream of water cascaded from the top, creating a foamy, misty splash as it hit the water pooled at the bottom. Patches of grass-like plants grew on a rock bank behind the waterfall. We could swim through and lay on it if we wanted. Tall trees let in enough sunlight to catch the colors of the birds and butterflies, but there was enough shade so the spot wouldn't be unbearably hot.

"Wow," I whispered. "It's beautiful."

"Told you. I knew you'd like it," he said proudly. "Want to go for a dive?"

I looked at him and smiled widely.

"You mean like jump with the waterfall?"

"Sure. But we have to jump together. It can be dangerous because of the water pressure. It's enough to push anyone down into the water, and for someone like you..."

"Ha, ha, very funny, Emmett," I said, rolling my eyes and laughing. "Okay! Let's do it!"

I was excited. Edward would have never have let me jump in, let alone jump with me.

"Let's go."

He ran towards the water. I smiled and followed behind. Together we swam until we reached the rock bank next to the water fall.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" I asked.

"We're climbing up, of course. Come on, get on my back again. It's too slippery for you to do it on your own."

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

With one last push up, we were at the top of the rock mount. I helped Bella off of me, holding her warm hand in mine to keep her from slipping.

"Oh, God. This is really high," Bella said. She held on to my hand tighter and wrapped her other hand around my arm. I could still hear her heartbeat quickening even over the roar of the waterfall. She was scared.

"We can always go back down," I said to her. I relaxed my hand, and felt hers relax too; instead of gripping my hand, she laced her fingers through mine. I looked down at our hands and smiled. I was sure she wasn't even aware of what she had just done.

Her gaze was focused on the height from where we were to the water down below. She shook her head and looked up at me.

"No way. Let's go." She smiled so widely I could see her teeth.

"Okay."

As I bent my knees, ready to jump, I told her one last thing. "Don't let go of my hand."

We jumped together, our arms flailing in the air but never letting go. I could hear her screaming from the thrill, and I found myself howling with her. We hit the water and were pushed down quickly as I'd said. I swam away from the waterfall, holding on to Bella tightly.

I turned make sure she was okay. She looked amazing next to me in the clear, blue water, smiling, squeezing my hand to assure me she was fine. Bella pointed up with her free hand to remind me she needed to go up for air.

We swam up together, and when she reached the top she took a gulp of fresh air into her lungs. I helped her stay afloat by grabbing her around her small waist, and she automatically wrapped her legs around my torso. She ran her hand through her hair, combing it back and out of her face.

"That was…intense," she said breathlessly. "I was so scared." She beamed a smile at me. "We're not telling Edward about that are we? He would get mad after... what happened last time he left."

I smirked. "That's like asking if we're going to tell him about this."

I kissed her, licking her bottom lip. She opened her mouth, allowing me to deepen my kiss. The warmth of her tongue felt strange on mine, but I loved it. I had never felt this before, not while a vampire.

I cupped the back of her head in my hand, and it fit perfectly. I wanted to kiss her endlessly. I liked the feeling of her warm tongue. I could feel myself becoming aroused.

She pulled away, turning her head, gasping for air. Bella's breathing was hard, as if she was choking. I looked at her confused. She turned to me and giggled.  
"I kind of forgot to breath."

I burst out laughing and caressed her face.

"You'd think you would be used to kissing a vampire by now." She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Want to jump again?" I asked. She opened her eyes, leaned in closer, and gently pulled my neck towards her. I tightened my grasp around her waist.

"In a bit."

This time she began kissing me.

* * *

**JASPER'S POV**

"I don't understand. Why did he leave?" I asked Alice. We drove full speed down the desert road. All we'd seen was sun and dry dirt. I watched as we passed another ROUTE 66 sign. "And why here?"

"I don't know. Maybe he thought we wouldn't think of looking for him in a place where he'd be so exposed." said Alice.

I rolled the window down from the jet-black car we'd bought, and the blazing sun and heat roared in. I caught the sight of my skin sparkling from the rear view mirror. The hot air bothered me a bit, it was much more dry than what I was used to. I held my hand out; my skin was blinding.

"I can't sense him here," I said

"Oh, I know. He only passed through here."

"Where is he going?"

"I'm not exactly sure. He knows we're coming, and every time he knows we're close, he moves." She shook her head. "I honestly don't understand him. I mean, he knew what he was getting himself into when he chose to start dating Bella. He knows humans are just like us. It was only a matter of time before Bella would want to do it."

"I don't think that's it, babe. He was obviously okay with sleeping with her if he went through with it. Edward's been so careful about that. And, well, it's not like Bella forced him," I said laughing. "I think he's just going through that whiny 'I'm a monster' phase again."

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

I couldn't stop laughing.

"No way."

"I'm serious. Why don't you believe me?" said Emmett with a perfectly straight face. We were lying on flat rocks in the small cave behind the waterfall. Our voices echoed off the rocks walls. We had climbed in to rest and had decided to play a game of questions.

"So. You're telling me you had the whole afro wanna-be-look, the tight pants, platform shoes, and open chest shirt?"

"That was the look. What can I say?" He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "You know how Alice is, we have to keep up with the fashion." He scrunched his nose up, like he smelled something unpleasant. "Wasn't really a fan of that look."

I looked at Emmett, and for a split second he was wearing a billowy white blouse, his chest hair bubbling over the collar, and black, bellbottom pants. His shoes had a ridiculously high heel, and his hair was in an afro. In my mind, we were suddenly transported to a disco club, colorful lights flashing everywhere, disco music blaring. I could see Emmett doing the classic disco move enthusiastically, pointing his finger down at the opposite side and raising it diagonally in the air.

By the time I snapped out of my reverie, I couldn't breathe from laughing so hard.

His greaser phase, his hippy days, those I could see for him...but disco? I just couldn't, it was too absurd.

"What? Its not funny." he said defensivly.

"Okay, it's your turn," I said, quieting down. He rolled over onto his side, and rested his head on his hand.

"What are some of the things you want to do with your life?" he asked.

"Well, that depends on if you mean while I'm human."

He smirked.

"You're still giving Edward hell about that?"

"Pretty much," I said, mimicking his smirk.

"Okay, what's something you really want to do while human?" he asked.

"Actually, I've always wanted to get a tattoo. I know, I know," I said hurriedly when his eyes widened in surprise. "No one would ever think I would want to have a tattoo, but I always have. I never did it because I've always hated needles, and you know how I am around blood." I thought for a second and added quickly, "And I want to travel."

"Where do you want to travel to?" he asked, resting his other hand on my stomach. It was an oddly light touch, and I knew he was trying to remember to be gentle.

"Hmm…Ireland. Maybe Scotland too, but I know I wouldn't understand what the hell they were saying."

"The Irish accent isn't any easier," he said, laughing.

"You've been to Ireland before?" I asked.

"I've traveled to every part of the world, Bella." Emmett began to trace his finger over my stomach, maintaining that overly light touch. "Would you like to go to Ireland?"

"Definitely." I was determined to go one day. "I've been saving some money since even before I came to Forks."

"Would you like to go Friday?" he asked casually. I turned to him, confused.

"Friday? This Friday? As in three days from now?"

He nodded.

"How?" I asked.

"By plane, and of course, I'll be with you."

The idea was so tempting. Not only was it a free trip to a place I'd dreamed of going to, but I'd be able to spend time with Emmett. Then I remembered our situations.

"No, no. I can't let you buy me a ticket to Ireland. What would the others think, especially with Edward gone? And Rosalie!"

The guilt was creeping in on my conscience now, knowing I had feelings for Emmett.

"They'll think exactly what they are now: that I'm just trying to distract you while he's gone. And Carlisle and Esme know Rosalie and I like to spend some time away from each other when we fight. Plus, it's not like we're low on money," he said. I could tell he was really liking the idea.

"I don't know, Em…this all seems wrong. You're with Rosalie, I'm with Edward. He leaves, you argue with your wife, and we go off to another country together?"

He looked directly into my eyes. "Are you saying you want this to stop?"

He tried to look unbiased, but I could tell he didn't want me to say yes.

"No, Emmett, of course not." I sat up and put my fingers through his. "I didn't say that. It's just…I really like you, Em. I know this is something good, I can feel it. Sometimes I just...I feel like we're going about it the wrong way."

"I really like you too, Bells," he said. "And given our situations, there are no other options. It just played out the way it did; we have to go with what we've got."

As much as I didn't like it, what he said made sense. I looked away sadly and nodded. Where would I be if things had turned out differently?

"This is all so strange in a way. I mean, for two years you always treated me like an older brother does a younger sister. And now look at us."

"Come on, Bells," he pleaded urgently. "Two days. That's it."

"I don't know..."

"Please." He squeezed my hand. "I want to figure this out."

I found that I didn't want to say no, I wanted to figure things out, too, despite everything.

"Okay," I answered, squeezing his hand back.

"Yes," he said, grinning. "You're going to love it. I promise."


	14. Rosalie Snaps

**EDWARD'S POV**

This was good, wasn't it?

I needed time to clear my head.

In a way, I regretted leaving Bella alone back on the island, because I knew she would associate this with the time I'd left before. But I was coming back, and it was something I needed to do for myself. This was a part of my vampire nature, something she couldn't understand.

I knew she was safe and in good hands. I turned and walked down a dark, deserted street, keeping my gaze forward. I was trying to ignore the thoughts of women around me. It was nothing new, such filth.

I never thought time apart from Bella would be necessary, but I needed this, to learn to accept what I am next to her. But how long would it take?

I reached into my pocket and felt a big wad of cash in my pocket. I approached a well-lit store that read MOTORCYCLES, GEAR, TUNE-UPS, ETC. A blue and read neon sign flashed in the window bright enough to illuminate the entire street corner. I opened the door and heard a bell ring somewhere in the back of the store.

It was large and brightly lit but dark in its own sense. Every wall displayed leather outfits, t-shirts with skulls printed on them, and an assortment of silver chains. Displays of Harley Davidson merchandise had their own section in the store, and autographed pictures of bands only Emmett would recognize hung on the walls for decoration.

"Just a sec. I'm coming," came a voice from the back. I stepped into the store and began to look around, browsing through the few large bikes they had for sale. I didn't even bother to turn when I heard the woman's voice.

"Hey, there. What can I help you with, suga?" followed by a thought: "Damn. They sure don't make them like that around here."

"I'm interested in purchasing a few things," I said, finally looking at her. She was a tall, slender girl, almost as pale as myself. Her hair was choppy and dyed black with purple streaks. She wore deep shades of purple eyeshadow around her eyes. Her nose, lip, and ears were pierced, and the skin I could see was covered in multiple, colored tattoos. She was actually quite attractive for a human, had I been interested in her type.

"That's right, baby, look at what you can get," I heard her think. "Sure, what would you like?" she asked aloud, eyeing me.

"I want that bike, and that, and that, and that, and that," I said, pointing to various things around the store. She whistled.

"That sure is a hell of a lot. Sure you can pay for it?" She was curious to know if I had money on top of being attractive. I casually pulled out the stack of money in my pocket.

"Ring me up."

"Goddamn, this one is loaded. Come on, Gina, nail him," she thought to herself. "Well…seems like someone has big plans," she said, winking.

"Look, I'm not interested." I said coldly.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

I put my left arm behind my head and my other arm around Bella at my side. We had spent all afternoon in the water, and now we were back with the cubs, laying on the ground. I had opened up another clearing through the treetops to let the moonlight shine through. She was cuddled up next to me with her eyes closed, asleep. I had spent almost an hour watching her.

"Bella," I said gently, kissing her forehead.

"Mm...five more minutes," she mumbled and buried her face into my neck. She placed her arm across my chest.

This whole moment made me smile. It was something I'd always wanted to do with Rosalie after having sex. Of course, vampires didn't need sleep, but just to lay there like they did in the movies would make a special moment even better.

But it never happened. Once again, I was jealous of Edwards luck. I smiled and ran my thumb up and down her right shoulder.

"We have to go, Bells. It's getting late. You should be in bed."

"Mmkay," she mumbled, but she made no move to get up. I shook her arm slowly and stood up. I listened for a second; her breathing was heavy, relaxed, steady. She was out.

I shooed the cubs into their caves. They had finished the food Bella hadn't and were still sniffing around the empty containers, looking for more. I picked up the empty Tupperware and put them into the bag. I slung it over my shoulder and walked over to Bella, who hadn't moved an inch.

I kneeled down and wrapped her in the blanket she was on like a baby, hoping it would help with the chill from my running. I said goodbye to the cubs and began the trip back with Bella in my arms. It didn't take long before the house came into view, and it took even less time before I was inside. I was welcomed by Carlisle and Esme.

"Shhh," I warned them. Esme smiled and gave Bella an "aww" look.

"Emmett, I told you not to overdo it with her," she whispered.

"I swear I didn't. She wanted to swim all day, you should have seen how much fun we had," I whispered back.

"Thank you, Emmett. I think she really needed that. Now it's probably time to get her to bed," whispered Carlisle.

"Hold on, let me help you," said Esme, taking the bag from my arm. Both of us were careful not to wake Bella up. I carried her to her room. Esme followed, dropped the bag in a corner, and left. I took off the blanket and tucked her in, watching as she turned over on her side to get comfortable without waking. The curtains were drawn shut, and I opened them so Bella would have some kind of light in the dark room.  
I walked over to the bed and leaned forward to lightly kiss her lips.

"Good night," I whispered.

She turned to her other side and murmured, "Night...I love you Edward."

_... !..._

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks-my body froze, my heart dropped, a weird chill shot through my body. They were piercing, wounding; I'd tried to keep her mind off of him, but I guess I hadn't made as much progress as I thought.

_I love you, Edward._

* * *

**ROSALIE'S POV**

Something in the air suddenly shifted, and a familiar smell came through my room.

Emmett was home.

I followed his scent to Edward's room. As I drew near, the door swung open and Emmett was leaving, his face stony and distant. What the hell was he doing in Edward's room with _HER_ alone?

"And where…in hell…were you all day with..._her_?" I asked. I was making my hardest effort not to blow up on him, but he knew how much I hated that disgusting human. I'd give him a chance to give me a good excuse.

"HER name is Bella. Isabella. Why is that so difficult for you?" he snapped at me.

Was he...defending her?

"Emmett, I don't want you to ever go out alone with her again," I warned.

"Oh, piss off, Rosalie. You may be my wife, but I won't let you decide who I can and can't be friends with." He scoffed at me and shook his head. "You always do this. You drove off Alana and Gem, even though I told you REPEATEDLY that they were like sisters! Not anymore, Rosalie."

"Exactly. I _am_ your wife. And I think that gives me a little room to ask you not to go places with others ALONE, especially..._her_." My body was burning with the desire to swing at him.

"THEY WERE TWELVE!" he bellowed at me.

"AND WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE FOR **HER**?" I yelled back, pointing to the room he had just walked out of.

"Rosalie, you know very well that I love you. But recently..." He closed his eyes, raised his hands to rub his temples, and grimaced. "Recently.. you have been such a pain in the ass! And if you keep up with this-this BULLSHIT, you're going to drive me away…more than you already has to stop," he finished firmly. He was breathing heavily, and every word he uttered was like a stab.

"Are you saying…you don't love me anymore?" I asked him. I wanted to cry, to ask him to forgive me. But if I remembered anything from my human life, it was to never let a man make you drop to your knees to plead for anything. I trusted my instincts, and they had been telling me something was wrong. Now I knew what it was.

"You love her, don't you?"

I expected him to protest adamantly, or to admit his love gently. Neither one could have been worse than his silence. Emmett glared at me, then tried walking away, which only made me more angry.

Not only was he immature, but now he was telling me things that hurt me. I wouldn't let him make me feel that way, not when he had just as good as given me his answer.

"Why!" I shrieked. I punched his back, which let out an explosive sound. He was taken by surprise and fell into the kitchen, slamming hard into the glass case of china Esme had bought.

I heard Esme gasp in the kitchen and protest. Carlisle shushed her and tried to peruade her to stay out of it.

Before he could get up I jumped on top of him and punched his face repeatedly, each blow resulting in a booming, cracking sound. He tried to grab my hands and stop me, but my age, speed, strength, and rage overcame him.

"Rosalie, no!" cried Esme. I could barely hear her, I had almost forgotten they had just entered the kitchen, but it didn't matter. He couldn't die, being a vampire and all, but I wanted him to suffer as much as I was.

"Esme!" said Carlisle. I couldn't see what was going on with them, but I was sure Carlisle was trying to keep her out, to protecting her from me.

"You're crazy!" said Emmett as he finally got a hold of my wrists and stood us both up. He pushed me back forcefully until I was pinned against the wall.

"THIS IS WHY! IM TIRED OF YOUR CONSTANT MOOD SWINGS!" he yelled into my face. I kneed him in the balls and he dropped to his knees and let me go. I started kicking him.

"CARLISLE, DO SOMETHING PLEASE!" screamed Esme.

And then I heard the only thing in the world that would push me over the edge. _That little bitch_.

"EMMETT!" screamed the human. I turned to look at her and hissed.

"YOU." My fury was blinding. Here was who I really wanted to hurt.

I immediately let go of Emmett and zoned in on her, so I didn't see when Emmett reach for my ankles. He pulled them out from under me, and I fell face first. The marble floor cracked under the impact. She screamed and jumped back.

"Don't you DARE touch her!" said Emmett as he turned me around and sat on my chest. Esme was sobbing hysterically.

"All I wanted was for us all to have a nice vacation Carlisle, that's all," she cried. I looked at the human.

"Bitch!" I tried breaking away from Emmett, but he was going to make sure I didn't get to her.

"ENOUGH. What's going on here?" demanded Carlisle.  
"She's ruining my marriage!" I screamed and pointed my finger at her accusingly.

"NO! YOU'RE ruining our marriage, don't you get it?" yelled Emmett. "Carlisle, please take her. I need to get Bella out of here."

"NO! NO!" I screamed hysterically. Hadn't I just told him to stay away from her? "You're not going anywhere with her! Carlisle, she wants to take Emmett away from me! Please, listen to me, Carlisle, please!"

"Don't be stupid," Emmett said. I watched as Carlisle walked out the room and came back with a needle filled with a liquid. Didn't he believe me?

"No! Get that away from me!" I said. I struggled against Emmett even harder.

"Hold her down more," said Carlisle to Emmett.

"I hate you! I HATE YOU!" I said to Emmett as I spit at his face. He only jerked his head back when it made contact.

I looked at the human and smiled crazily. She looked shocked and terrified, but I could make out traces of guilt in her face. She couldn't fool me. "You're not as special as everyone thinks you are."

Then I felt the small pinch on my neck...


	15. Forbidden Fruit

**BELLAS POV**

I tried to make myself as much a part of the wall as I could to get away from Rosalie's reach as possible. I couldn't move; I couldn't think. All I could focus on was Rosalie's rage. She wouldn't even say my name.

"I hate you! I HATE YOU!" said Rosalie as she spit at Emmett. Then she turned and smiled at me, still struggling.

I don't know why, but the crazed smile she gave me, made my body go cold. I could feel the fear in me as my pulse increased.

"You're not as special as everyone thinks you are."

Then Carlisle injected her with something. Esme came over to me and grabbed my arm.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes." I said, feeling a little shaky. "What's going on?"

"That's what I would like to know," Carlisle said.

"Carlisle, she's insane. She thinks Bella and I…I need to get her outta here. When Rosalie wakes up, she's going to look for Bella," said Emmett. Carlisle nodded.

"What did you inject her with?" I asked Carlisle, finally able to move again. And then I remembered what Edward had once told me. "But I thought that nothing man-made could break through a vampires skin."

"It's a needle I had made with the grain of vampire teeth to see if it would work to calm newborns, you know, after what happened with Victoria and her newborn army. I just never thought I'd have to use it on one of our own. It has enough tranquilizer to kill a elephant with a single drop," said Carlisle, standing up. I gasped. He had injected the whole tube into her.

"Don't worry, Bella. It doesn't kill us, just puts us to sleep," said Carlisle. I turned to Emmett, who was scratching the back of his head, looking at his wife on the floor.

"Get your stuff ready," he said to me.

"Where are you taking her?" asked Esme before I could say anything.

"Away from here, from Rose." He grabbed me by the arm and walked me to my room.

"What's going on?" I asked him. He started packing some of my clothes into my bag. I was confused, and it was quickly turning into worry.

"Wait outside. I'm going to get some clothes and money."

"Do we have enough time, for me to take a quick shower?" I asked.

"Yeah, yeah," he said distractedly, going out the room.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

I was putting the last stack of money into my bag when Esme came into my room.

"Emmett, dear, we..." she began. "We don't know what's going on here." She grabbed my hand.

"Calm Rosalie, within two days we'll be back. She's not going to hurt Bella. Bella has nothing to do with what's happening in our marriage." I stopped and looked directly at her. "Esme…I'm not happy with her anymore."

Esme was silent for a moment. "But...what Rosalie said...where does Bella come into this?" she asked.

"Rosalie needs someone to blame." I pulled out my cell phone. "It will be on at all times for you and Carlisle only." I kissed her on the forehead. Esme was still confused, but I didn't know what exactly to say to her right now. I grabbed my bag and walked out. Bella was waiting for me.

"Where are we going?" she asked. I didn't answer her. Instead I handed her the bag and ran to the storage shed around the back of the house and pulled out a small rowboat. At my speed, we where back on the mainland within minutes, silent the entire time.

"Where are we going?" she pled as I flagged down a cab. I didn't say anything. She grabbed my face and pled again for an answer, more urgently this time. I brushed her hair back.

"Ireland…just you and me," I finally answered, as a yellow taxi stopped right in front of us.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

Was this really happening right now?

Emmett got into the cab. I opened the door on my side and spoke without getting in.

"What? IRELAND? _NOW_? But we can't go, not after what just happened!" His jaw tightened.

"Where to?" asked the cab driver. He was an older man, no younger than forty-five. He had dark brown hair streaked with grey, combed back and slicked down.

"Airport," answered Emmett. I sighed and got in the cab.

"Which terminal?" asked the driver as he sped towards the highway.

"International Port."

"Emmett, what happened back there?" I asked. He was silent for such a long time that I almost repeated the question. Every minute he didn't answer felt like a new hour. The airport was even coming into view when he finally said something.

"She knows," he said firmly, looking at the back of the driver's head.

"Rosalie? Knows what, Em?" I said, grabbing his hand. His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed.

"That I'm falling in love with you." He turned to me and grabbed my hand. I pulled away in surprise, and he looked at me, worried that maybe it hadn't been a good idea to say out loud.

Suddenly it felt like butterflies were fluttering around in my stomach. This wasn't... couldn't be real. I felt like I was outside of my body, observing as a third party rather than actually being involved. I couldn't believe Emmett had said that about me.

"_EDWARD!...ROSALIE!_" My subconscious fought to get me to remember them, but right now the only thought that consumed my mind was to kiss him. I leaned in and brought my lips to his. I felt his hand come up to my face as our kiss deepened.

And then we were interrupted by the cab driver.

"That'll be thirty dollars."

I giggled nervously as I broke away from the kiss and remembered to breathe again. Emmett didn't take his eyes off me. He let out a low growl out and pulled a bill out of his pocket. I caught a quick glimpse of a hundred dollar bill when he handed it to the cab driver. We stepped out of the car.

"Keep the change," Emmett said behind me with our bag in his hand.

"Are you sure?" I heard the cab driver ask right before Emmett slammed the door shut. We were walking away when the driver lowered his window and shouted, "Thanks pal!"

But Emmett's eyes never left mine. He smiled so widely I could see his teeth. I smiled back at him. He grabbed my hand and laced his fingers through mine.  
"Come on." He pulled me along. Inside, the lighting in the airport was so bright that my skin looked paler then usual. I looked up, half-expecting to see Emmett sparkle, like he did in the sunlight, but all I saw was a handsome face.

And I wasn't the only one who noticed, either. Women all around us were staring, practically drooling over him.

"Does it ever get annoying?" I asked.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Does it ever get annoying? Having so many stupid women staring and trying to get your attention?" I asked again. With perfect timing, I noticed one girl ahead and to the right of us who was clearly posing so that her ass stuck out. She was looking at Emmett and smiling.

"They do?" he asked, and looked to where I was looking. I laughed.

"You seriously have never noticed?"

He looked at me and smiled. "No."

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

It didn't take much convincing to get first class tickets for a flight out in ten minutes. Just a few: "Are you sures?" Smiles. Compliments to the girl behind the counter.

"What did I tell you," smirked Bella.

"Bells, I have no idea what you're talking about." I smiled and attempted to make myself comfortable in the seat.

"How much longer?" Bella asked, yawning. She rested her head on my shoulder.

"Just a few more hours."

She raised her head quickly. "Wait. Won't it be morning when we get there? How are you going to walk out in plain daylight?"

I pulled the armrest up that was between us and patted my legs so she could lay down. As she rested her head on my legs, the stewardess passed by. She was really similar to Bella in height and body shape, but her hair was red and her nose rounder. As she passed by us she almost tripped over her own feet trying to smile at me. I had to hold back a laugh, making her blush and walk away faster.

"It'll be night when we get there." I said. She yawned again.

"Oh. Okay," she said in a voice I knew meant she would be asleep in two minutes.

"Sleep. I'll wake you up when we arrive."

She nodded her head, and I thought she had fallen asleep when she asked, "Emmett? Where are we going?"

Wow, she must be really tired. "Ireland, you know that."

"No. I mean us...where are we going with us?" she asked. I thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know." But she had already fallen asleep.

I covered Bella with the blanket provided by the airline and spent the rest of the flight thinking about what she had said. Edward loved her, and he'd fought hard for her. He wouldn't give her up easily. I knew once he came back, she was longer mine.

But I had tasted the forbidden fruit and now I wanted to get the full satisfaction. I didn't want to give her back.

She'd said I smelled the sweetest of all. Did that mean we were destined for each other? It had to, or else why would I feel like I was right where I needed to be?

I was so focused on my thoughts that the stewardess startled me.

"Can you please ask your…" she said, pointing at Bella. I knew she was waiting for me to confirm my relationship with Bella out of her own interest.

I said nothing, just stared at her in my own amusement. She sighed and nodded when she realized I wasn't going to answer.

"Can you please wake her and have her put her seat belt on? The plane will be landing shortly."

I shook Bella lightly. "Wake up, beautiful."

I heard the stewardess snort. Bella yawned and sat upright, stretching. She looked at me, then to the stewardess.

"Morning," she said.

"More like night." I kissed her forehead. I turned my gaze to the woman. She was still there, watching us like a creep. I stopped smiling.

"Is there anything else you want?" I asked her.

"Um, no," she said, clearing her throat nervously.

"Buh-bye, then." She walked away. Bella snickered.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"Oh, you know, stupidity getting annoying."

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

After landing at the airport, Emmett and I took a cab through beautiful, rural Ireland. I was so distracted by the sights that before long, I realized we had long left the city lights and were out into the "country."

The cab driver dropped us off in front of a small cabin, gave us his blessings, and drove off. Emmett made the reservations while I waited outside looking at the stars. I'd never seen them so bright and numerous, and I was hit by the realization that I was in Ireland, looking at stars I'd never seen before, waiting for a man I loved.

The cabin we were given was small and dark, but perfectly suitable for two days.

"Too bad this is the only thing they had. I really wanted to stay at one of the castles," said Emmett. He opened the door, walked in, and put our bag down on the floor.

"I've always wanted to stay in a place like this," I told Emmett excitedly and followed him in. He turned on a candle and held it out to me. I felt like I was in a movie.

"Wait. There's no electricity? I asked.

"Nope. No water either, or gas for that matter. Just like the good old days," he said contentedly. Then his expression turned to worry. "I mean, if you don't like it, we can go somewhere else. I'm sure I can pay someone for a stay in the city."

"Are you kidding me?" I said. This might not have been Rosalie's scene, but it sure as hell was mine. "This is awesome. Do we have to build a fire to cook, fetch water, stuff like that?"

He nodded.

"Awesome," I grinned. He smiled and kneeled down to open a drawer next to the door. I raised the candle he'd given me so the light could cover more ground, and I saw a bunch of candles in the drawer he'd opened. They would be more than enough for our stay.

Emmett pulled out a handful and had me follow him while he lit and placed the candles all around the room. When the cabin was visible, I was able to look around. There was a small, empty fireplace at one side of the room above which hung the head of an elk. A small rug lay on the floor by the fireplace underneath two single armchairs. A few feet away was a table that looked like a stove, operated by putting coal or wood into the box under the stovetop. Against the wall was a small, simple table with two chairs pushed neatly in. I noticed another rug, brown this time, and on it was a king-size, four poster bed. Next to either side of the bed was a nightstand, one had a bible on it. The room was simple but supplied the essentials, enough for two people. Except...

Wait.

One bed?

Emmett must have noticed that I saw this because he explained, "I don't sleep, remember?"

Mentally, I heaved a huge sigh of relief. For a second, I had thought he expected something from me. I laughed, feeling stupid.

"Oh yeah. That's right."

He looked over at me and I noticed his eyes were much darker than they had been on the island. I got closer to him.

"You're hungry."

"A little," he admitted, nodding.

"Take me with you." I slid my arm around his neck.

"No."

"Why not?" I asked, perhaps a little petulantly. Edward always refused me, and I wasn't going to let Emmett do the same.

"Death isn't something you should see if you don't have to, Bella. And it's not like watching me eat a steak," he said as he walked to the door.

"Why shouldn't I see it? I should in order to know what to expect soon," I protested. He turned to me from the door and gave me the look Edward did every time I wanted to talk about my change.

"You're not going to become one of us." he said seriously.

"Oh, yes I am," I said, determined. My arms were crossed over my chest and I shifted my weight on to one leg. He slammed the door shut vampire-speed fast, making me jump back startled. I was surprised to see the door still attached to its hinges.

"No, you're not. Why would you even want to?" he asked, staying by the door. He was starting to sound like Edward, and that was the last thing I wanted.

I was quiet for a moment. Edward didn't get it. How could I make Emmett understand?

"How could I live the rest of my life knowing there are people like you guys that exist?" I began softly. "How can I be satisfied with my human life when I love you all so much and yet I'm not one of you? As long as I'm human and around the Cullen family, I'll always attract danger to you guys." I dropped my gaze and shook my head. "I don't want to do that, but I can't let you all go. Not when I love everyone so much." I was able to look at his face again, dimly lit and covered with candlelight shadows but so beautiful. I laughed softly. "Not to mention immortality,incredible strength, speed, and beauty. Who wouldn't want that?"

As I spoke, I walked over to him and grabbed his hand. He seemed to be giving in, allowing himself to be persuaded, until the last bit. His hand tightened around mine, uncomfortable and even a little painful.

"Beauty? You want to see beauty? Fine," he snarled. He grabbed me by the arm and swung me on to his back, like a backpack. He opened the door and, without closing it or looking back, he shot out into the night, faster than I had ever experienced, towards the woods near our cabin. The sky was beginning to brighten; the stars I had seen on our way to the cabin were gone.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, trying and failing miserably to keep my voice from shaking. He stopped running and put me down next to a tree, which I immediately reached for to keep my balance. With the sky becoming lighter I could see pretty well.

"Shh. Watch, don't move." He jumped on to the tree I was leaning on.

"What are you doing?" I asked before I could stop myself. I was looking up at Emmett, who'd landed on a branch almost directly overhead.

"Shhh," he said, more harshly this time, pointing out to the woods behind the trees. I saw something coming towards us but I couldn't make out what it was. And when it finally walked into our clearing, I saw it. A big male elk. It was grand and majestic, a truly breath-taking animal, one I'd never seen so close. Its antlers were massive. It was sniffing the ground, picking up things and chewing on them.

And then I heard a hiss from somewhere above me. I looked up and saw Emmett crouched down, only he wasn't himself.

His eyes were dark and wide. His features somehow looked sharper in his hunt, making him look vicious. I gasped and stepped back right into the tree. The elk heard us and tried to break for a run, but he never had a chance.

Emmet jumped on to the elk's back from his position in the tree. The elk let out a frightened scream. It tried stabbing Emmett with its antlers by lifting its head. I watched as Emmett took hold and tore them off effortlessly. The elk cried out louder; I could hear its distress, its helplessness, its fear. It brought a knot to my throat. My face drained of its blood, a sickening feel at the pit of my stomach.

Emmett looked at me and hissed again, and then, faster than my eyes could register, his teeth were already sunken into the elk's neck, making a sickening sound as his teeth broke through skin. I could see the blood dripping down from the wound and felt lightheaded but was too scared to look away.

The elk reared onto its hind legs to try and throw Emmett off, but Emmett only grabbed on tighter and sunk his teeth in deeper, continuing to drink. The elk desperately began running around, but he was too weak now; he was almost falling over to his side.

Emmett bit a chunk off from the area he was drinking from and spit it out. The elk fell over on its side and Emmett sunk his teeth into another area of its neck,until finally he stopped and got up. He stared at it for a moment, then looked at me.

"You want to be beautiful? Then here's your chance."

He was at my side before I could even begin to make a sound to protest. He clutched a handful of my hair around his hand and pulled my head back so that my neck was fully exposed to him.

"No! no! no!" I shouted, panicked, scrambling to get away from him. I expected my heart to break through and out of me at any second.

"You don't want to do that to animals or humans?" he asked wiping his mouth with his arm. The elk's blood was still trickling down Emmett's neck and onto his shirt. It was easy to shake my head no, my entire body was shaking.

"Didn't think so." He turned around so that his back was to me.

I didn't know what to say. It was too much.

So I dropped to my knees and started crying.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

I heard Bella drop to her knees and cry. I closed my eyes as regret washed over me; I felt like such an asshole. I was afraid she wanted to be one of us for the wrong reasons, and now she probably hated me anyway. I went to her, dropping to my knees.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," I said, holding her by the elbows.

I expected her to pull away, but she didn't. Instead, she leaned in and kissed me. I pulled away because I didn't want to dirty her with any of the elk's blood, but she hugged me hard, crying, oblivious. I could clearly see blood on her lips.

"I love you, Emmett."

I was baffled. I had just shown her how I hunted and threatened to drink from her. She was scared, but she still loved me. As the sunlight began creeping through the woods, I could see myself beginning to sparkle.

"Forgive me, Bells," I pleaded. I pulled away from her, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"There's no reason to forgive you, Em. You didn't do anything." She pushed my hands down so she could hug me and buried her face in my neck.

"Thank you," she whispered softly.

"For what?" I asked, still confused. After what I'd just done to her, she was showing me gratitude? She caressed my face.

"For respecting me enough to show me that. For letting me see such a personal, intimate side of you, what your natural instincts are." She continued to cry. I picked her up and within minutes we were back in the cabin. I closed the door behind me, kicking it shut.

I took Bella to the bed and set her down. I was going to go put on a new shirt but she grabbed my arm.

"Don't go."

"I need to change my shirt," I said, looking down at the dry blood.

"Please."

I nodded and had her scoot over. She pulled at my arm so I could wrap it around her. She continued to cry, her body jumping every so often from her crying, like she had hiccups. It didn't take long before she was asleep.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"EMMETT!"

I sat up, sweat covering my body, from a nightmare. I couldn't remember much of what I had just dreamt, but I knew that I had died. I expected Emmett to be at my side at the sound of his name, and it alarmed me even more to see that he wasn't. I reached over to touch the other side of the bed, but he was long gone.

Just when the panic was starting to set in, seconds after I woke up, he came through the door, letting in the light with him. The first couple of seconds the sight of him was blinding, like I was looking straight at the sun. He stepped in and looked around with a hammer in his hand. There was no threat he could sense, and he let the hammer drop to the floor and came to me.

What's wrong?" he asked.

"Where were you? Why did you leave me alone, without a note or anything?" I demanded.

"I was building a small shack so you can have privacy when you shower. I was right outside; you were never alone."

"I dreamt I died."

"Oh! That would be a bad-ass song title!" He moved his head to an unheard beat. He thought this was a joke!

"Fine! I guess you don't care." I turned my back to him.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I was trying to make you feel better." He rested his hand on my waist. I didn't move.

"Aww, come on, Bells." I felt his weight on the bed and his arm wrapped around me. "I love you."

He blew into my ear, which both startled and tickled me. I giggled before I could stop myself, then turned around so we were face to face. I couldn't stay mad at him.

"Oh yeah?" I said, smiling.

"Mmhmm."

"What are you going to do about it?" I asked playfully.

He kissed me, and it didn't take long before things heated up. I grabbed the back of his head as he grabbed the back of my neck.

"Mm," I said, pulling back to breathe. But Emmett didn't give me enough time before he went in for a second kiss.

The thought of being alone with Emmett on a bed in Ireland excited me, and it coursed through my whole body. I pushed him and rolled over so that I was straddling over his body, my hands on his chest.

I wanted him, but I had a feeling he was going to deny me.

If Edward felt he couldn't control himself, then surely Emmett couldn't.

He was more than twice as big as Edward.


	16. Temptation

**BELLA'S POV**

I didn't know what to expect or do exactly, but it seemed like my body was guiding me.

In the heat of the moment, I was drawn to his neck and started sucking it. It was like sucking on a wall. I looked at the spot, almost expecting to see a hickey, but, of course, there was nothing. I was a little disappointed, and he must have been able to see it in my face.

"What were you expecting?" I could tell he was trying to not laugh.

"Nothing, I guess," I said, feeling silly.

I leaned over to kiss him again, when suddenly something started ringing.

"HOLY HELL!" I screamed, rolling off of him. "What is that?"

"Relax," he said, laughing. "It's my cell phone. Must be Esme or Carlisle."

Emmett got off the bed and walked to the chair near the fireplace where he'd set our bag. He opened it and pulled out his cell phone.

"It's Carlisle." He opened it and answered. "Sup, Carlisle." He was quiet as he listened, saying "okay," "fine," and "mhmm" here and there. He turned to me and held the phone out. "Say hello. They want to know if I've managed to keep you alive." He rolled his eyes. I laughed.

"Hi, Carlisle, Esme," I said loudly so he could hear me.

"See?" said Emmett. The conversation continued for a few more minutes, and when he hung up he turned back to me.

"What happened?" I asked, as he put his cell phone back into the bag.

"They're going back to Forks. They said to head there when we go back. Rosalie is still being difficult." He walked back over to me. "So where were we?"

He got back on the bed. I laid back down as he got on top of me and held himself up on his hands in a sort of push-up position. He lowered himself to kiss me, and that kiss was enough to get me back in the mood.

I kissed him back aggressively, grabbing the back of his head to get a handful of his hair. I pulled him away to breathe, but again he gave me so little time to catch my breath.

My body temperature was rising; I could feel myself sweating and my skin was getting flushed even with his cold skin so close to mine. The warmth ran through me and centered itself between my legs.

At this point I could think of nothing else but myself with Emmett. I wanted him and I wasn't going to take no for an answer, or let any thoughts of guilt ruin this moment.

I wrapped my legs around his waist. We were past the point of speaking; our bodies were communicating intuitively. He lowered himself more, and I could feel something hard on my crotch through the material of my jeans. I pulled away from our kiss and stared into his eyes, biting on my bottom lip.

"Sorry," he said softly. I shook my head and touched his face.

"Don't be. I want you," I said bit my lip again. He smiled and kissed me, slipping his tongue into my mouth. I reached down to unbutton his pants, but he stopped me.

"No, Bella."

"Why not?" His sudden rejection stung. Why wouldn't he let me do it? He was hard, so I knew he wanted this too.

"Its too dangerous. I could hurt you." I rolled my eyes at the all too familiar excuse.

"Why? Because I'm a fragile human?" He was quiet and looked away. "Edward didn't hurt me." He looked at me again, the smallest tinge of jealousy in his eyes.  
"I'm not...Edward." Now I knew he was upset; I could hear it in his voice.

"No, but you're sure starting to sound like him." I tried to push him away from me, but he was to heavy for me and he wouldn't move voluntarily.

"Get off of me, Emmett." He just continued to stare at me. "Emmett, move."

Tears were welling up in my eyes. It was frustrating to want someone so badly and be denied. I tried rolling to my side but his arm was in the way.

"Bella," he said. I ignored him. I felt his hand moving down my body.

"What are you doing?" I asked, looking at him. He didn't say anything. I felt his hand stop at the button of my jeans. I looked down to see what he was doing. He unbuttoned my jeans, and pulled down on the zipper while giving me smile. I couldn't stop myself from grinning when I raised myself up to kiss him.

Emmett tugged on my jeans again, and I raised my hips up to make it easier. I could feel my skin tighten as I got goosebumps.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

I slid her pants down and saw her black, lacey panties. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment to focus. I couldn't believe I was going to do this, especially with Bella. I felt her squeeze my arm, which made me open my eyes and look at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, worried.

"Nothing," I answered. What would Edward think if he ever found out?

I started kissing her again, lowering my hand until I felt the material of her underwear. I let my hand slide under its waistband.

"Mmm," she said in my mouth as we continued to kiss. I felt her hips push down from the shock of my cold skin on her warm skin.

I felt her heat on my hand. I didn't know what to think of this; it was the first time I had felt a woman here that I could remember. I let my hand keep going until I felt the warmth and wetness of her on my fingertips.

This too was new to me, but the sensation it raised urged me kiss her more aggressively. I had to hold myself back, though, because I could break her jaw or something. The self-control only bottled up and felt more intense, and I was getting harder.

She spread her legs wider, letting me know I wasn't the only one who wanted this. I was eager to let my fingers inside her, and I rubbed my fingers gently on the sides of her place, making her moan. I was teasing both of us, having trouble holding back from slipping them into her.

She bit on her lower lip and pulled on it with her teeth, which for some reason drove me crazy. It was such a human action and it was like a way for me to find out what she was feeling.

I let my finger slip into Bella and kissed her, which made her moan. She was even warmer inside and really wet. I slipped my finger all the way in; her walls clenched around my finger. I slowly brought my finger out and then back into her. She stopped kissing me and looked down at my hand. She was moaning and her breathing sped up as I moved my finger.

I really wanted to be in her, but I knew that wasn't  
going to happen. Not while she was a human, at least. I felt her hand on mine as she pushed down on it, signaling that she wanted me to go deeper.

I changed to a circular motion and did what she wanted. She let her hand rest again and closed her eyes, moaning louder. She ran her hands through her hair and I smiled with the knowledge that I'd found her spot. I kept going in circles but changed my pace, going faster.

"Emmett, please."

I knew she wanted us to have sex, and I couldn't deny I wanted it too. But it wasn't safe.

I ignored her plea and continued fingering her. She placed her hands on my back, and with one last moan she pulled at the back of my shirt. Her breathing began to slow down.

I smiled as I pulled my finger out of her, glad to see her satisfied. I looked down at my finger, still wet from her. I wondered...how did it taste?

I licked my finger, and she pulled my finger out of my mouth in alarm. It tasted sweet.

"Ew. Don't do that." I tried to get a sense of how she tasted.

"It's…sweet." I said.

"What?" She made a face of disgust. I nodded and brought my finger to my mouth again.

"It's good. Like when I tasted you on that piece of meat, back on the island."

She pulled her jeans up and brought herself into a sitting position.

"Your turn." She smiled seductively and reached for my zipper. I stopped her.

"No." She stopped smiling.

"Wouldn't you like to go out and see the stars instead? We could take a blanket." I hoped this would  
distract her.

"I guess." She was definitely disappointed. I grabbed her chin.

"Oh, come on. It's dark out and we're in Ireland. It's really beautiful out there."

"Emmett."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Can I take a shower?"

At least she hadn't asked about having sex. I started laughing; her question was so random.

* * *

**ROSALIE'S POV**

"AHHH!" I hissed, trying to break the door of my room down. This time it gave in a bit. "Carlisle, open the door!"

"Rosalie, you're acting like a newborn," he said from the other side of the door.

"Where is he?" I demanded. I could feel my stomach turning. I was hungry, but that was the last thing on my mind. I had a savage, violent desire to rip the girl's neck apart and feed.

No one takes what's mine. No one. Especially a puny, little human.

I jumped to the other side of my room and sat down on the floor. I looked around at the completely destroyed space. My clothes and Emmett's were torn into pieces and scattered everywhere. The posters of his favorite bands that used to be on the wall were along with them.

I looked at the oversized wedding picture I'd had framed. There was a huge gash through it; ironically, it was right between Emmett and myself.

I heard the door click as it opened. Carlisle stepped in holding a mug. I sniffed the air and recognized the smell of deer's blood. He held it out to me and I flashed over, grabbed it, and ran back to my spot on the floor.

It wasn't that filthy human girl's blood, but I couldn't resist any longer; I needed it. I sat back down and let it fill my mouth. I gulped it down, not caring that some of it ran down the sides of my mouth. When the mug was empty, I quickly cleaned my face up with my fingers and licked them.

"Where's Emmett?" I asked. Carlisle just looked around the room at everything I'd destroyed. I didn't understand why he didn't believe me.

"Carlisle, why are you letting them do this? Emmett is my husband," I said quietly. We both stayed at our places. I wrapped my arms around my knees, and held them close to my chest. I rested my forehead on them.

"Rosalie, you were beating him."

"That's not your business! Nor is it the point. He's cheating on me right in front of my face," I hissed at him.

"Rosalie, I think you're taking things out of context. Alice and Jasper left; Edward left. You never liked Bella, so who else was she going to turn to? The only other person who she could spend time with comfortably was Emmett. And in your jealousy…" He continued on, but I drifted off into my own thoughts.

Yeah, maybe he was right.

But then why had Emmett been silent when I asked if he was in love with her?

I was hoping Carlisle was right, but something was telling me not to get my hopes up.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"Wow," I said, looking at the stars. I laid down on the blanket Emmett had spread out. Before I could even see how he'd gotten there, he was already next to me. He put his arm to his side so I could use it as a pillow.

I had taken a warm shower in the small outhouse Emmett had built for me. He had boiled some water for me on the stove and given me soap and shampoo provided for us in cabin. My hair was still wet so I pulled my hood up and pulled the another blanket tighter around my body. There was a gentle breeze, and I heard Emmett take a deep breath.

"You smell so good." He sighed

"Tempting?" I asked. He laughed.

"You've been tempting to all of us since the first day Edward brought you home. We just tried to never think about it, for Edwards's sanity. He'd freak out if he knew we wanted to kill his girlfriend."

"What?" I asked, worried.

"I mean, drink your blood. Carlisle would have never allowed it, of course. You know that day Edward saved your life, when James bite you? I sort of envied him. He got to taste your blood." He shuddered. "Virgin's blood. Ah, fuck."

"You've had virgin blood before?" I asked. I didn't know much about his past, and this would be a perfect oppurtunity to find out. I turned to my side to face him.

He nodded, not looking at me, but up at the stars.

"How many times?"

"Twice."

"How different is their blood?" I asked.

"It tastes...pure, sort of like a child's blood. I don't know how to explain it...I just know that it's way more satisfying than an adult's." I gasped at the last part. He closed his eyes.

"Yes," He hung his head. "I have had child's blood before, and I'm...I mean, it still haunts me to this day. The only way I could ever learn to live with myself was to come to terms with the fact that she was my first hunt. I couldn't control myself then." He began laying with his hands, and he said it all without so much as a glance at me. "And even that...sometimes even that isn't enough."

There was a long silence, and I desperately wanted to change the subject. I decided to bring up the first thing that popped into my mind.

"I'm not a virgin anymore, you know that, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, I know. I'm surprised it took Edward this long. If I were him I'd die from the temptation. Especially after he refused a mate for so long."

"How do you know it happened recently?" I asked. He smirked.

"Because it was the day I realized I wanted you."

I snuggled in closer to Emmett. I could smell the scent of the ocean in the air mixed in with the grass on the hills.

"Are you tempted still?" I asked him, hoping he would say yes. He turned to me and let his eyes rove from my eyes to my lips. He swallowed.

"Yeah."

"Well then?" I said, kissing his neck.

"I have no right to do that with you, Bella," he said, but he didn't push me away.

"But what about what happened earlier?" I asked. He swallowed again.

"That's different."

"Not to me," I said. He still didn't look convinced. "Look, Emmett, we both want to and we're in Ireland. No one has to know."

He just stared at me. I looked away, ready to give up the conversation, when I heard him sigh. I turned to see him roll his eyes and say, "Fuck it."

He pulled his shirt up over his head. My heart started racing. He straddled me, bent down to kiss my lips, unzipped my hoodie and brought his hand under my shirt. He massaged my left breast.

"If I start...getting out of hand...tell me," he said in between kisses.

"I will," I said, already out of breath.

Funny how things turn out.

To me, he was always the big bear, the one I saw as a protective older brother.

And now he was becoming my lover.

Little did I know that this trip, would be the turning point of my life.

* * *

**A/N**

I just wanted to know how old my readers are and where they are from.

(Don't worry, I know this is a rated M story, but I'm not going to shoo you away if your younger then 18. Everyone has their own right to read what they like. And I have no control who clicks into my story.)


	17. The tale of Hannah

**Theres new things some readers might not understand its relevance to the story. But please, keep in mind that it will all later connect.**

**WARNING SEXUAL CONTENT- I have alerted the start and end of the sexual scenes, for the readers who do not want to read it.**

* * *

**[SEXUAL CONTENT STARTS]**

**EMMETT'S POV**

"This is going to be hard," I muttered to myself as I removed the rest of my clothes. Somehow Bella heard me.

"I sure hope so," Bella giggled. She looked down to remove her jeans and panties. Her eyes slid to me and her eyes widened at my size. I had to laugh at the expression on her face.

"No, I didn't mean me. I meant this, what we're about to do. I've never done it with a human. And I've told you before, Rosalie and I have broken houses."

Bella's face fell.

"What?" I asked, alarmed. I probably should have kept my mouth shut.

"So you don't want to do this." Her eyes welled up with tears.

Was she crazy? Couldn't she see how hard I was?

"Whoa, hold on," I said. "I never said that, Bells. I'm just scared I might…break you or something."

She hurriedly wiped away a tear. "I wish everyone would stop worrying about that. I'll tell you if something's bothering me, I promise," she said, trying to smile again. She looked directly into my eyes. "Besides, I trust you."

Those three words sent a shiver down my spine. I felt a sense of power and resposibility over her, but those same words terrified me. Could I do it?

I breathed in deeply, nodded, and placed myself. Warmth radiated from her body, and I found myself wanting to be in her already; I didn't want to wait.

I slowly pushed myself in, and we moaned simultaneously as I went in deeper.

"Ow," I heard her say very quietly.

I knew I wasn't harming her as a result of my vampiric strength. The size of me inside her was painful; I was bigger than what she was used to.

I knew she'd become used to it soon.

"Ah fuck," I moaned.

I dug my fingers into a grassy area the blanket didn't cover. I could feel the clod of grass I gripped in my hand separating from the earth, the dirt gathering under my fingernails. I closed my eyes and started breathing hard though my nose.

I couldn't explain how incredible she felt, the last time I'd felt such body heat was as a human. That had been decades ago.

I pulled out of her and went back in, and she moaned again.

"Bella, I can't-" I said squeezing my eyes shut. It was all I could get out.

Something in me was rising, building, like an incredible thirst, but I didn't have the desire to drink. The desire was for something else.

Having to restrain myself was driving me crazy. I wanted nothing more than to continue, but I had to do it without getting rough.

This was going to be more of a challenge than that day I forced myself away from killing her.

"No! No, please…please don't say that. Keep going," she said, squirming under me, and I couldn't resist.

I pulled out of her again and went back in. This time I didn't stop.

It was a slow pace, at least slow compared to what I was used to. Bella seemed to be enjoying it.

But slow wasn't necessarily bad. I couldn't complain. Being inside Bella, her warmth surrounding me, well, it was as good (if not better) than fucking the hell out of Rosalie.

_As long as you can keep your hands off of her, everything will be fine,_ I thought to myself, as I dug my hand deeper into the grass.

But it wasn't the same. Before I could think, I grabbed her arms and waited for her to stop me. She didn't, and it was my cue.

I moved my hands all over her body, finally bringing them back to her breasts.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"Don't stop, Em." My hands were wrapped around his arms. His hand roamed all over my body, from my arms and neck trailing down to my stomach. His hand ran down to my hip, and he squeezed it to give himself better leverage. He moved his hand away and I felt a dull, throbbing (but bearable) pain.

I knew I was going to wind up with bruises.

I didn't care. Right now, the only thing I could process was how hard my nipples became when his cold hand made contact with my skin.

He was perceptive. He brought his hand to my breast and began playing with them. The coldness of his fingers hurt a bit, but I didn't want him to stop.

When Emmett had first pushed inside me, it had hurt, just as it had with Edward. Unlike sex with Edward, though, the pain had subsided and something warm, delicious, wonderful had taken its place.

I didn't feel obligated to fake it with Emmett. Even better, I didn't have to.

I was sincerely enjoying every minute of it, and my confidence was building. I wanted to try something different, something I couldn't have attempted with Edward.

"Can I be on top?" I asked.

He nodded and I felt him start to pull out, but he was too far gone.

Instead of switching positions, Emmett pushed into me harder than ever.

The sensation was incredible, and I hardly felt his legs digging into mine.

His head lowered to my neck, and my breathing quickened, not only because of the pleasure, but also from the thought that this would be the moment.

He was going to bite me.

And he did start sucking my neck, but it was so light and gentle that I knew just how hard he was working not to hurt me.

He began to nibble on my neck, again with the utmost caution.

"Do you want to bite me?" I whispered into his ear.

"Yes," he moaned, still pushing into me.

"I'm ready for it." A part of me meant it, but another part of me couldn't keep away a piercing bolt of fear.

He grunted and pushed into me, harder this time. He let out a low hiss. I turned my face and saw his hands covered in dirt, but instead of being buried in grass, they were now clawing into the blanket. It ripped in several places with each fistful he grabbed.

And then I heard him sigh.

I smiled as I realized that he had become satisfied. He pulled out and collapsed on the blanket next to me.

* * *

**[SEXUAL SCENE ENDS]**

After he caught his breath, he rolled over to lay on his stomach, using his arms as a pillow with his face turned to me, a smile on his face.

"What did you do to your hands?" I asked, looking pointedly at the dirt on them.

He started laughing. "What did you do to yourself?"

I looked down and saw dirt all over my chest and arms.

Actually, there was dirt everywhere. The entire area around the blanket had been upturned. And then I noticed two deep holes in the grass, one on either side.

"Did you...?" I asked, pointing at the holes.

Emmett smiled smugly. I laughed and moved closer to him.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" I murmured, playing with his ear.

I was starting to get cold as the sweat on my body chilled in the cold air, not to mention his icy body.

Of course, Emmett didn't have a single bead of sweat on him.

"Easy for you to say," he chuckled.

I smiled and yawned without thinking.

"Tired?" he asked.

"Who wouldn't be?" I smiled.

"Did I hurt you?" He turned his body towards me and I snuggled up to him.

"No. Did you like it?"

His cold body gave me shivers, but I didn't care. I just wanted him to hold me.

He kissed the top of my head, reassuring me that he had..

"I know it wasn't what you're used to, and you couldn't be as rough as you are with Rosalie-" I began, but he cut in.

"I love you, Bella." He gently tipped my chin and kissed me, and I wasn't cold anymore.

My eyes began to drop, and I closed my eyes to rest...

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

I pulled the blanket up closer around Bella. She was beautiful in her sleep.

The birds chirped happily as they welcomed the sun to a new beginning. This had always been my favorite part of the day when I'd lived inIreland years ago. It was amazing to watch the sun shine on the open hills.

I didn't want Bella to miss this.

"Bella. Wake up," I whispered. She squinted, yawned, and stretched her arms.

"What happened?" she asked sleepily.

"Nothing. I just thought you'd enjoy this." She rubbed her eyes and winced.

"Morning," I said to her.

It took her another yawn and stretch to completely wake up. She looked at me and smiled.

"So it wasn't a dream." She hugged me. I smiled and brushed her cheek with my thumb, only to leave a faint trail of dirt. I laughed.

"Oh no. Look what I did," I said, trying to clean it off.

She sat up, glanced at the dirt on my hand, and laughed. "Look at us. People would think we were rolling in dirt."

"Well, technically," I chuckled, "we were." I stood up. "Come on."

I took her hand and pulled her up. As she stood I was able to get a full view of her body. I noticed a few bruises on her arms among the dirt. I hadn't noticed them while she'd been asleep because she'd been covered by the blanket.

I realized I'd done that to her, and I inhaled sharply.

She smiled faintly and looked away from my eyes, trying to gather the blanket around herself to keep the bruises from view. I got my jeans and put them on.

"Come on," I said softly.

She wrapped the thin blanket around herself more tightly, holding it around her chest with her right hand. She took a step and winced.

"Are you okay?" I asked, dread filling me.

"I feel a little sore." She opened the blanket slightly, just enough for her to see.

She closed it immediately.

As hard as I'd tried not to hurt her, I had failed. Miserably, by the looks of it. I closed my eyes as I realized I had done more harm to her than just her arms.

"Show me," I said slowly.

"No, Emmett. I'm fine." She began to walk away, but I grabbed her arm as softly as I could.

"Bella, show me."

She hesitated for a moment, but something in my voice compelled her to spread open the blanket.

I'd never seen so many bruises on one person. Small dark spots were scattered around her chest and breasts with long scratches, some extending down to her stomach. Her hips were also bruised and slightly swollen.

Even with the limited sunlight filtering through the windows, I was still able to see the bruises on her. I closed my eyes and bit my bottom lip.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't even know I was doing it," I said.

I opened my eyes as I felt her take my face into her hands.

"Emmett, I'm fine. I told you that if you were hurting me I'd say something, didn't I? You have no idea how happy I am just being around you." She took my hands in hers. "They're just bruises, they'll go away. And a girl's hips usually hurt after they have sex their first times anyway. "

Her words were comforting but still, I couldn't look into her eyes. I shook my head.

"Come on, Em. I promise, everything's fine. Show me what you wanted me to see," she said, tugging on my hand.

Finally, I looked at her; she was sincere. Her skin was glowing from sunlight. It was almost time for sunrise. I wanted to show her how beautiful the landscape of Ireland could be.

"Okay, let's go." I took her hand, and took her the mountains edge, where our cabin was.

Bella looked down and her eyes widened.

"Whoa," she said and took a few steps back, bumping right into me. I wrapped my arms around her.

"Don't be scared." I said, and pointed to a cluster of hills in the distance. "Look."

As the sun gradually began to move across the sky, the world was coming alive. Bright rays traveled across the valley, and grass was suddenly a vibrant green. Flowers stood out like jewels and the brilliant blue sky was the perfect backdrop for it all.

Then the light reached a small lake, and Bella gasped.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

All I could see around me were hills, each a different shade of green splotched with rocky edges and patches of dried grass. The sun seemed to touch every corner of the landscape in stark contrast to Forks, which was always gloomy and wet.

Water trickled down the length of one of the smaller hills into a large pond at the base. There was a crisp freshness to the air, a clean, natural smell that must have come from the water.

A herd of cattle grazed near the pond. It struck me as funny that they seemed to stand at an angle as they ate. Not too far from them was a stone house with smoke curling out of a small pipe on the roof.

_The chimney, _I thought. I looked around and - yes, there he was. A farmer in the midst of a cluster of sheep. I heard him whistle sharply, and suddenly a small black dot began circling the sheep, a dog apparently rounding up the flock. It was like a movie scene.

Further in the distance I could make out a pile of rocks, but they seemed to be organized.

"Hey, Emmett, what's that?" I pointed to the hill.

"There used to be a castle there years ago," he answered.

The pile of rocks took shape. Some of the walls were beginning to crumble, but they still stood strong and tall; there was no way anyone could climb over it. The wooden door was chained heavily, and there was a sign that read "No trespassing" nailed to it.

Before I knew it, my imagination had turned the ruin of an Irish castle into a majestic structure at the peak of its glory.

"Can't you just picture it? Years ago, during the time of monarchies, that castle was ruled by a king and queen who'd overseen peasants and knights, knights and men who'd protected those walls. Who'd devoted their lives to the king and queen," said Emmett, like he'd read my mind.

There was something in his voice...I looked up at him, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts. Something told me he'd been familiar with that castle.

"Do you really think they were that loyal?" I asked.

"I know they were for a fact." He tore his eyes away from the castle and looked at me. "I used to live behind those walls when I was a human."

So that explained it. "Were you...a king?"

He laughed. "No. I was a well-to-do knight appointed captain of my own men."

"So…you lived here? In Ireland?" I asked, confused. It was difficult for me to make the connection between an Irish Emmett who'd served royalty and Emmett Cullen, vampire. How had he gotten mauled by a bear in Tennessee? And where was his Irish accent?

"I - I'm pretty sure I did." I looked at him even more confused. How could he not remember? "After living for so long, a vampire's memories start to run together a little, especially the ones from humanity. It's mainly those life-changing events that stay because you already hold them deep within you."

"But how did you wind up in Tennessee?" I asked. He swallowed.

"It's a long story." I nodded to tell him I would listen and he took a deep breath.

"I told you before that I was a knight, and at that time knights were not allowed to bear children, especially not those of the highest rank. We were sworn to serve the royal family, and any outside commitments were thought to interfere.

"As captain, I assigned groups of men to different fields and members of the family, kind of like bodyguards. My superior assigned me to look after one of the king's daughters, Hannah." He paused and seemed to gather his thoughts.

"You mean…she was the princess?" I asked.

Emmett nodded. "She was one of three. I was only four years older than the oldest daughter, so Hannah and I were pretty much the same age." Again he stopped, and a soft smile crept onto his face.

"She was this amazing, beautiful person. Her parents, the king and queen, were crude, cold-hearted. They were tyrants, essentially. But not her. She liked to be around the people under her parents' rule. Hannah even fed the ones in need, all while having to do it behind her parents back." He looked at me and I nodded to let him know I was listening. He shook his head, the faint smile still there.

"She was really humble, caring, and it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her. Hannah would always tell me that she hated her position. How could she dress in fine, luxurious clothing when she knew people were wearing the same threadbare clothing everyday?"

"Well, how did she feel about you?"

He laughed. "Oh, she hated me at first. I was just another unwanted display of her wealth. She thought I was going to stop her from doing things outside of the castle, like taking food to the poor, and I did. Until I knew why she was sneaking out, and then I would just follow her."

"She never knew?" I asked.

He licked his glittering lips before continuing. "She eventually caught me. I had climbed one of the small shacks, hoping she wouldn't see me. She must have seen my shadow or something. Hannah threw one of the apples she was carrying at me." He chuckled. "She had great aim. We fell in love shortly after that."

His eyes sparkled, and I had to admit I felt a twinge of jealousy at the way he was talking about her.

"She came to me one night and told me she was expecting. I can't ever remember being happier as a human." His smile widened. "But we had to work something out. I wasn't supposed to bear children, remember? And then one day, Hannah's father summoned her. He told her she had to wed the prince of Northern Ireland." He shook his head.

"I did the only thing I could do. That night, I asked for her hand in marriage. It was risky, but we were in love. Hannah didn't exactly hide the fact that she didn't want to marry the prince, and it was starting to anger the king. We decided to run away, but he found out and sentenced us to death."

I gasped. "But she was pregnant! And his own daughter!"

He nodded. "Her father said she had betrayed the blood line." He hesitated and looked out to the castle.

"They killed her first. I tried to save them, my baby and fiancée, but they came for me next." He shook his head nostalgically.

"They left me for dead. I was on the brink of death when I was picked up by some of the peasants Hannah had helped. They were farmers transporting some crops to a nearby island, and they hid me among the crops on a ship.

"The sea became wild and we crashed. I hadn't healed completely, but I managed to get the farmers' two small daughters and myself on a raft. Their names were Alana and Gem. Days went by, and we were finally picked up by a boat. They brought us to South Carolina, and after I healed I took Alana and Gem to Tennessee. They were young, and I knew I would have to raise them… Hannah would have wanted it. I found a place for us to live and tried to help them as best I could. One day while I was hunting for food, I was attacked by a bear and, well, you know the rest."

"What happened to Alana and Gem?" I asked.

"Rosalie never let me see them again. You know how jealous she can be, and it didn't help that I always asked about them. I always wondered what happened to them."

We heard an eagle call out as it flew above us. I thought about what he'd said. This was only part of Emmett's story. How much more was there to him?

"I'm sorry you lost them that way. Hannah sounds like she was...perfect." He was silent, and I decided to change the subject to try and cheer him up. "So, why don't you have an Irish accent?"

He smiled, and then I heard it. "Oh, but I do, lassie."

My heart melted. I stood on my tip-toes and kissed him.

"You sound so cute!" I gushed excitedly. It was something I never thought I would do because it was an action I associated with airheads. "Why don't you speak with your accent now?"

"When a person gets transformed, he or she becomes a newborn again in every sense of the word. I had to learn everything again, pretty much. It's easy to pick up, but usually the vampire loses most traces of their human characteristics, like an accent. I still had a mild accent, but I had to learn to hide even that because Jasper and Edward used to give me hell for it." He shrugged. "Over time, I picked up an American accent. It just seems more natural to me now."

I scowled. Damn them.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

Bella's scowl made me smile.

I picked her up in my arms. The blanket fell away from her, covering only her lower body. She winced a little.

I'd forgotten she was sore. "Sorry, sorry," I said.

"It's okay. I'm getting used to it. It doesn't feel as bad as it did earlier."

"Would a shower help?" I asked.

"That would be nice," she smiled.

We went back into the house and boiled some water. I carried the big pot out to the shed I'd built for her privacy. We both stripped down and started bathing

But of course, seeing her naked led me to thinking about how it felt to be in her. Needless to say, it didn't take long for me to become aroused.

* * *

**EDWARD'S POV**

I got off the bike without taking my helmet off because I didn't want to attract attention in the sunlight. I walked to the stand directly behind the sign that read: "Station 34."

A dark, middle-aged woman sat at the window, thick dreads falling over one shoulder. She was dressed in light orange clothing with tropical patterns. The woman's frame was average; her eyes were wide and her nose small. Her lips swelled out when she smiled at me.

I lifted a panel at the front of my helmet, allowing me to see the woman without letting her see my features.

"Do you have a map?" I asked.

"Just a second, dear," she said, reaching below her desk. I was able to pick up a Jamaican accent. "I know I have one around here."

A small, portable radio played music softly in the background.

"**_And now, we're gonna take it back to an oldie, a hit that we should all know and should have a little of in our lives_**,_" _said the radio personality smoothly.

Music filled the small stand, and I was sure I'd heard the song before…the Beatles? Yes, it was them for sure.

I watched the woman shuffle through boxes and rifle through drawers. My attention shifted to the music when I realized it might take the woman a while to produce a map.

"**_Hey Jude, don't let her down…_**

… **_You have found her, now go and her."_**

I listened to the words and took in their meaning. They made me think about my own situation with Bella.

What was I doing? Bella was my life, my only love. It had taken me years to find her, and I was practically letting her go. She already accepted me as a vampire; it wasn't her fault I couldn't accept it.

The woman still hadn't found the map when I decided to go back. I was at my bike in seconds.

I adjusted the helmet and went in the direction I'd come from. My speed quickly reached 60 mph.

I smiled as memories with her flooded my mind: the first day at school, thinking, _Great, another human whose thoughts I have to block_, falling in love with her, realizing she'd become my drug.

Then there was having to protect her, watching her sleep, tasting her blood for the first time and thinking I wouldn't be able to stop. But I had because I loved her.

_"EDWARD!"_

It was a thought, and I could tell it was from someone I knew.

A glance into the right rearview mirror showed me a bike that was slowly but surely gaining speed. There were two people, and as soon as I saw how short and thin the passenger was, I knew the pair had to be Alice and Jasper.

_Hello, brother, _thought Jasper.

I raised my right hand and formed a zero, and then with my index finger showed the number one.

_0 to 1._

I accelerated to 100 mph and leaned my body closer to the bike to go faster.

"You're on," I heard them think.

I smiled as the race began.

"Just one tap on my back and you win." I said, knowing they would hear me.

I saw them lower their heads and accelerate, the gap between us becoming smaller.

My speed read 120 mph.

I looked in the mirror again and saw Alice standing on the back seat of the bike. She threw off her her jacket, leaving her in a small black vest that exposed her torso and arms. She balanced herself, holding her hands to her sides.

Alice tapped Jasper's helmet with one hand and squatted. I watched as she pushed off the bike and jumped to the side, landing on the road effortlessly. As soon as she hit the ground, she passed Jasper on the bike.

I maintained my speed and looked at the mirror again. This time, it was Jasper who raised himself from the seat, hands still on the handles. With one swift motion, he pulled the bike up from under him and tossed it to the side of the road. He was soon at Alice's side.

My speed reached 130 mph, and Jasper and Alice were getting closer and closer.

Alice jumped on to Jasper's back, and when he was close enough she jumped into the air in my direction. I felt an added weight on the bike, and I knew it was over.

Alice took off her helmet and tossed it over her shoulder casually. At our speed, it crumbled into pieces on the road.

"Tap," she said, punching the side of my helmet hard.  
A loud crack sounded and the force of the punch threw me off the bike. Because we'd been going so fast, the clothes almost melted off my skin as I skidded on the floor.

I looked up, my wounds already healing. Apparently Alice had managed to jump off the bike before the impact because there wasn't a scratch on her. Jasper stepped forward to give me a hand, laughing all the while. I joined him.

"Time to go home," I said, standing up. The only indication of the accident was my torn clothing.

Suddenly, Alice gasped. I turned to look at her, my body springing into a defensive stance automatically. I relaxed a little when I saw that glazed-over look.

"What's wrong? What do you see?" Jasper asked. She stared off into the desert.

"It's Bella and Emmett." I immediately stiffened at the sound of Bella's name.

"What's wrong with them?" I said. I looked up at Jasper, his eyes wide.

Alice looked at me slowly, her eyes refocusing. There was pain and sympathy in her face. She cupped my cheek into her hand.

"Oh, Edward…I'm so sorry."


	18. Only Yours

**EMMETTS POV**

"Shit," I said, pushing into Bella one last time.

I felt myself tightening my grip on her hips as she was bent over in front of me.

I heard her say "Ow" and immediately let go. I punched the side of the small outhouse hard. It gave away easily and fell all around us. Luckily, Bella was bent over, so the roof didn't hit her.

Instead it hit the top of my head. I pulled out of her and began moving the pieces of wood on my head away. Bella stood back up, scared, then burst out laughing when I growled and threw the last of the wood to the side.

"Whatever," I said to her.

She bent down, holding her stomach in laughter, and it made me smile. I picked her up and ran to the cabin, leaving our clothes and the destroyed outhouse behind.

"Ready for another round?" I asked her.

And that's how we spent the rest of our time in Ireland. No matter where we intended to go or do, it always led to our sinful pleasure.

* * *

**BELLAS POV**

I looked around uncomfortably. A lot of girls at the airport were shooting me dirty looks. I tried ignoring them, focusing only on Emmett…like they were.

"I have nine more days until Charlie expects me home, and we're already going back to Forks," I said glumly.

"So? He doesn't know we're coming back early. We can still have fun at home," he said, winking.

I don't think he realized that once our plane landed back home, we had our own lives to lead, him with his wife and me with Edward.

"Em…look, I love you, and I know you love me, but you do know that once we get off the plane, you're still a husband, and I'm a girlfriend," I said.

He looked at me confused, but didn't say anything.

"**FLIGHT NUMBER 4-1-9 TO-"**

I looked up at the ceiling as the lady in the airport announced a flight. I didn't even know why I looked up at the ceiling; it wasn't like she was going to be floating there. I liked how she pronounced each number separately.

"Is that us?" I asked him.

He nodded slowly. "Lets go," he said. He picked me up off my feet with one arm, letting my feet dangle. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck. He picked up our bag with his other hand and carried it along with us.

As we walked through the waiting room to the plane's entrance, people around us stared. I looked at the girls that had been checking Emmett out and blew them a kiss goodbye.

Childish? Okay, maybe it was.

**HOURS LATER**

"AH! My ass hurts," I said, stretching my arms over my head. Then I held my stomach; it felt bloated. The food hadn't been the best, even for first class, and all those hours of sitting didn't make it any better.

We had already landed at the Forks Municipal Airport, and I had to say, after all those hours in a plane, it felt amazing to get some fresh air and stretch. It felt even better than sex with Emmett...wait, that definitely wasn't true.

"Was I _THAT_ rough on you?" Emmett asked, smirking. I hit his arm playfully.

"Oh shut up. It was from sitting down for so long, you perv," I laughed.

**BOOM.**

We saw a flash of thunder light up the sky outside.

"Ugh. Good ol' Forks," I said.

Emmett took a deep breath. "I love how the air smells when it rains around home, the way the trees and woods smell," he said, and took another deep breath.

Then he wrinkled his nose, like he'd smelled something foul.

"BELLA!" I turned around to see a good-looking,muscular, dark, short-haired guy towering over the crowd.

"Jake!" I said happily. "Wow, you just can't seem to stop growing!"

I ran over to him and jumped into his arms as he spun me around.

He was so warm. This would have seemed romantic and cute to any onlookers, spinning in the soft rain, thunder rumbling in the background…but this was Jacob Black!

He put me down, still bearing his teeth in a smile.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing. Look at you, you're going to get all wet," he said, and when he looked over at Emmett, the smile he had just for me disappeared.

He looked around, and I assumed he was looking for Edward or the rest of the Cullens. He looked back at Emmett and nodded to him by way of greeting.

"Emmett," he said seriously.

"Jacob Black," I heard Emmett respond from behind me.

The tension was tangible. I didn't even need to look at Emmett know that. I continued to look up at Jacob, who was now taller than Emmett, but not as muscular or strong-looking as him.

"So I was looking for you the other day. Charlie said you were with the Cullens on vacation. But he said you weren't back for another week or so," he said to me.

"Yeah, about that. Don't tell Charlie that we're back. The trip was cut short," I said.

He raised his eyebrows. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine, Jake. We came back home a little sooner, but I'll be staying with the Cullens," I said reassuringly.

"Where's Edward?"

I didn't know what to say, so I said the first thing that came to mind. "Hunting with Alice and Jasper."

"Ah," he said, tilting his head up like he'd just gotten big news.

"So what are _you_ doing here?" I asked him.

"Came to pick up someone."

"Oh?" I said, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Yeah, we're having this special ceremony in honor of the moon and sun gods. And there's another cleansing ritual, which helps to purify your body, mind, and soul."

I heard Emmett snort. Jacob smiled down at me, ignoring Emmett, but I noticed his jaw tighten. I turned and glared at Emmett, which automatically made him shut up. I turned back to Jacob and smiled.

"Is it like that time I went and you all told stories around the campfire?" I asked.

"Not quite. You wanna come?" he asked.

I could hear the hopefulness in his voice, and I didn't want to disappoint him. Plus, I really wanted to go.

"I'd love to!" I said. He smiled happily.

"Great! I'll give you a call, okay?"

I nodded, and waved good-bye to him as he walked past us and into the airport. His eyes and smile followed me until he pushed through the doors. I turned around and finally was at Emmett's side.

I could feel my hair getting soaked in the rain, and my clothes were clinging to my body.

"It smells like wet dog," Emmett said, looking at the airport doors. I glared at him. "I don't know why you even talk to that mutt."

"Because he's a great guy," I said

"Right. Well, don't be too sure about that," he said, wrapping his arm around me and pushing me along with him.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

I set Bella down as we reached the steps of the Cullen house. Before she could knock, Esme was already at the door with a blanket for Bella.

"Come in, come in," she said to a soaking wet Bella. "Oh Emmett, look at her. She's going to get sick!"

"She was only in the rain for two minutes," I said.

"I'm fine, really. It's humid, so the rain felt really nice on me. I just have a bit of stomach pain but I think it might have been the airplane food," said Bella.

"Well, okay," said Esme reluctantly.

I walked in behind them, taking my wet shoes and shirt off and tossing them into the garbage bin by the door.

"Why are you throwing them away?" asked Bella, as she sat on the bench of Edward's piano. Esme was out of the room, but I could hear her handling something in the kitchen.

"House rule. Alice allows us to wear clothes only once. I'll be right back, I'm going to go put on dry pants." I said, running up the stairs to my room.

I could hear Esme talking to Bella, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I reached my room and stopped as I smelled Rosalie. I'd forgotten all about her.

I opened the door slowly and peeked in. The room was dark. I pushed the door open, stepped in, and flipped the light switch on.

"What... the... fuck?" I said to myself in amazement as I looked all around my large room. It was completely destroyed. The room was no longer clean or organized as it had always been upon entering. Clothes were strewn everywhere, torn to pieces. The marble floor was covered with bits of broken glass and pieces of mirror. Holes dotted the walls from what seemed like punches or kicks. The bed Rosalie and I used (not for sleep) was slashed through its cover and mattress.

I closed the door, and turned around as I felt someone's presence in the room. Rosalie was behind the door, and she looked terrible.

Her hair she always took so much pride in was knotted and bushy. The very little makeup she chose to wear was smudged all over her face. She was wearing a thin, layered, short nightdress, but it too was in bad state. It was wrinkled and torn in a few places.

She smiled and put her hands up to the sides of her face.

"You're back. I knew you would be back," she said, wrapping her arms around me. I tensed up, feeling uncomfortable, and pulled her off me, grabbing her by the wrists.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked her worriedly. I had never seen her like this. The Rosalie I knew would never allow anyone to see her like this, not even me.

"Oh, Emmett, I've missed you. I knew you would come back to be with me, and not stay with the human," she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

Under other circumstances, I would have been upset at her remark towards Bella, but right now I was just focused on her mental state. She seemed crazed.

"Rose…look at you, you're hungry." I looked into her coal-black eyes and put my hand on her right cheek.  
She put her hand over mine and closed her eyes, moving our hands together so my hand caressed her cheek. I moved my hand away and she opened her eyes. I picked her up in my arms and held her close to me.

"Come on, you need to eat," I said, opening the door.  
She rested her head on my my bare chest and pushed her face closer to me. As I walked towards the stairs I could hear Bella and Esme talking. I tightened my grip around Rosalie and walked down the stairs.

Just in case she decided to hurt Bella. Not only did Rosalie hate her, but she was extremely thirsty.

Esme and Bella stopped talking and looked at us. Rosalie didn't seem to be bothered by either of them; she just continued to caress my face and neck.

"She's hungry," I said to Esme, upset.

Why hadn't Esme warned me when I walked in? More importantly, why hadn't they fed her?

"She would only drink enough to keep the thirst at bay and refuse the rest," Esme explained, recognizing how upset I was.

"I'm taking her." I walked to the door, avoiding Bella.

"Emmett," she said. I stopped and turned to look at her. The way she said my name and the look she gave me was a mixture of jealousy and pain. Then she brought her hand to her mouth.

"Oh God, that food was really bad," she said before she threw up, right there on the floor. She started crying. I wasn't sure if it was a human reaction to vomiting, or an emotional reaction because she was upset at how I was caring for Rosalie.

Esme picked Bella up and carried her to the bathroom. I turned with Rosalie and walked through the door.

I loved and cared for Bella. But what she'd said before was right. She was Edward's.

And Rosalie was my wife, even if I didn't love her like I loved Bella now.

I needed to accept that what we had in Ireland was just a little adventure that would never happen again.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"Oh, God," I said, as I felt more of it coming. My stomach was churning violently, and there was a pressure somewhere in my throat.

I vomitted continuously into the toilet.

My insides felt sick, like I'd eaten something rotten and it was spoiling there for weeks.

"What did you eat on the plane?" Esme asked concerned.

"Haggis? Emmett said it was like meatloaf made from sheep. He said it was really good," I answered.

Esme gave a small chuckle. "Oh dear, haggis is sheep stomach, stuffed with its heart, liver, and lung. Of course he likes it."

"Ugh," I said and whatever was in my stomach came up. I turned to the toilet again and continued to vomit. The food hadn't tasted great, but I never would have guessed it would make me sick. It definitely had an odd taste and texture, but I'd never eaten haggis before, and I'd been starving.

I heard Esme turn the bathtub water on.

"Bella, I'm drawing some water for you, and as soon as you're ready, you get in, okay? It's all set up for you. I'm going to get some clean clothes for you to wear," said Esme.

I nodded, my head still in the toilet.

When my stomach calmed down a bit, I stripped naked and stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

The bruises Emmett had given me were still visible, but they weren't as bad as they'd been in who knew me would easily believe I'd done this to myself out of clumsiness.

My stomach rumbled loudly. Of course I'd be hungry after just emptying my stomach.

I stepped into the bathtub. The water was comfortably and refreshingly hot, exactly what I needed. I sat down, rested my head on the edge of the tub, and closed my eyes.

I started biting the inside of my cheek.

I couldn't believe Emmett had just left with Rosalie, not even staying to see if I was okay.

Well, of course he hadn't! Rosalie is his wife! I thought to myself. Isn't that what I'd told him?

I slapped my hand down on the water in anger, creating a splash. My hand burned at the impact on to the hot water. I ignored it and it slowly disappeared.

It was all my fault. I shouldn't have told him that once we arrived back home everything would go back to normal.

_UGH!_

I started wondering what they were doing together.

What if, after she's fed, she decides to have sex with him out there? Like make up sex?

Well, why not! She has every right! Emmett was her husband, for crying out loud, a second voice shouted angrily in my head.

But...the thought of knowing that she could have him after I had pissed me off immensely.

I licked my lips and wiped the sides of my mouth with my wet hand.

* * *

**EMMETTS POV**

I leaned on a tree as I watched Rosalie drain the deer's blood.

The way she looked coupled with her thirst made her look completely savage.

When she finished, she picked up the deer's body and put it into the hole I'd dug. I was surprised at how gentle she was with its body, now that it was dead.

Together we covered the hole and patted down the ground until it looked untouched. Then she took my hand.

"I don't know what's going on with me, Em. I'm...tired. And I'm a vampire. I never thought I'd feel this way again. I feel drained, like I want to sleep and rest," she said.

"How does that feel?" I asked, curious. It had been so long since I myself had slept, or even felt fatigued.

"I think they're side effects from the shots Carlisle's been giving me. I must have become used to having that period of sleep. My body just feels heavy, especially my legs and eyes.

"I feel like…like I just want to lay down and close my eyes, and that's it. After what's been happening between us, it felt nice to sleep and forget," she said, making it a point not to look at me.

"Do you dream?" I asked her intrigued. I had so many questions just on sleep.

"Yes. It's scary, because you think you're awake and you're going through the situations you're dreaming about. Then you wake up, and realize it never happened. I guess I should have known when I dreamt that-" She stopped and looked away.

I grabbed her chin and turned her face to me.

"Tell me," I said. I could sense where this was going.

"I dreamt I was pregnant," she whispered.

I picked her up again.

"Do you want to sleep? Do you remember how to without the shots?" I asked her as I ran to the house.

"Yes and no," she said, answering both of my questions.

"I'll ask Carlisle to inject you. Are you okay with that?" I asked gently.

"Only if you lay down with me. Please?" she asked.

I felt really bad for her. I knew she wasn't...right anymore, and it made me feel guilty. After all, wasn't this partly my fault, too? She seemed so gentle, so fragile, so weak…almost human.

"I will. How long does it last?"

"I don't know." She pressed her hand to my chest and looked up at me from my arms. "Emmett…tell me you don't love the human. That while you were gone, you kept our vows. That I'm only yours and you're only mine."

Her words stopped me in my tracks, right in front of the door to the house. I swallowed, and looked into her eyes.

"I...don't."

I had to lie. If I told her how totally and completely I did love Bella, I didn't think she would be able to handle it in her condition.

"Oh, Emmett. I knew I could trust you." She rested her head back on my chest.

I opened the door and took Rosalie to our room. I set her on her feet and flipped the mattress of our bed. I put fresh covers on the mattress from our wardrobe and told her to lay down. Then I went out into the hallway and said Carlisle's name, knowing he'd hear me. He was at my side in a second.

"Carlisle, could you inject Rosalie again? She needs to rest," I said.

He nodded and left to get his equipment. After he injected her and left the room, I laid down on the bed. She was asleep before she could even say anything else to me.

I kissed her forehead.

"How am I going to continue living, when the person I'm in love with isn't you?" I asked her sleeping body.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

I slipped into the dry shirt Esme laid out on the chair outside the bathroom. I took one last look into the mirror, making sure that my eyes weren't swollen from crying. I looked away when I heard a knock at the door.

"Bella, it's for you," Esme said through the door.

"Is it my father?" I asked, opening the door. He wasn't supposed to know I was here.

"No, its Jacob Black. We forgot to tell Chief Swan we were back, though. Would you like me to call him?" she asked.

"Oh no, Esme, I'd like to keep it that way a little longer, if you and Carlisle don't mind."

And then it struck me that she'd said Jake was on the phone. I was confused. How did he get the Cullens' number?

I took the phone from Esme, and she dismissed herself to give me privacy.

"Hey, Jake. How did you get this number?" I asked him.

"Charlie, don't worry he doesn't know your back, I just said I needed to leave the Doc. a message." he said simply.

"Oh." That made sense. "What's up?"

"I was calling about the ceremony. It's tomorrow from midnight until sun up. Still want to come?" he asked.

"Of course," I said, holding the phone with one hand and running the other through my wet hair.

I took the cordless phone up to Edwards's room and sat on the bed.

"Great! So I'll pick you up at eleven tomorrow night. Bring anything comfortable for you, and then bring all white clothes to change into, if you can," he said.

"Okay. See you tomorrow then. Night."

We hung up, and I looked at the doorway. Emmett was standing there. He came in, and closed the door.  
He looked around the room and stopped when his gaze landed on me.

"I just wanted to say goodnight," he said, his hands in the pockets of a brand new pair of sweats.

"Is Rosalie okay?" I forced myself to ask.

"She's sleeping."

Sleeping? What the hell? "Uh, I thought you guys didn't sleep," I said.

"It seems her body has become used to the shots Carlisle has been giving her. And she really needs a refreshing moment."

"Oh." I looked down at my hands and began to bite my nails. I didn't know why this was so awkward for us. I mean, after everything we'd done together in Ireland…

This was all my fault.

"Well, goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight," I said as he opened the door.

He looked at me one last time before closing it behind him.


	19. Revelations

**A/N**

_**I watched Tuck Everlasting and I fell in LOVE with the theme song!**_

_**And I found a video on youtube that someone mixed with Twilight, and it was PERFECT! **_

_**Youtube it: Edward and Bella Everlasting**_

* * *

**ALICE'S POV**

I looked at Jasper and then back at Edward. Edward moved my hand away from his face.

"WHAT'S WRONG!" he bellowed.

I swallowed. How could I tell Edward what I'd seen in my vision?

"I saw…" I began slowly. Edward grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me hard.

"What did you see?" he demanded.

"Edward." Jasper grabbed his shoulder. He looked scared, as if he knew what I'd seen. He looked into my eyes and then off into the deserted road.

I closed my eyes and opened my mind to Edward. It would be easier to let him see my vision than to articulate it. Images flashed through my mind:

_Emmett holding a naked Bella._

_They were in an open, grassy area with pieces of wood all around them._

_Emmett carrying Bella in his arms towards some sort of cabin, Bella laughing happily._

_Emmett talking to Bella: "Ready for another round?"_

_Bella smiling in reply._

_Then they were inside the cabin._

_Emmett carried Bella to a bed and laid her on it. He caressed her naked body, called her beautiful, whispered how he loved her and…_

Edward hissed, breaking my focus on the recall of my vision.

"Where are they?" he growled menacingly.

"Edward, please remember it's only a vision, it still hasn't happened…" I tried to reason.

Edward lifted his hand up to silence me.

"Ready for another round? HE SAID, 'READY FOR ANOTHER ROUND!' That means it's happened before!"

I had never seen him this angry, not even when he was trying to kill James.

I looked down at his hands.

Edward had balled his hands into a fist so tightly he'd dug his nails into his palms.

"Edward, your hands," I said and reached for them. He quickly pulled them away.

"This isn't right." He turned and bolted away from us.

"Where is he going?" I asked Jasper.

"Where do you think?" Jasper sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Oh, God. He's going to kill Emmett if he finds him at home."

Jasper nodded. "We have to stop him, or one of them will get hurt."

We zoomed off after Edward, and it didn't matter whether people saw us or not (we were going too fast to be detected anyway). They would just see a shiny blur flying past them and feel the breeze as we ran past.

Our only focus right now was to catch up to Edward. We'd been able to catch up to him on a motorcycle, but on foot Edward was as fast as the rest of us. His anger only gave him more energy. He was even faster than Jasper at this point.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

I turned to my other side and the tears that had pooled on the side of my nose streamed down my cheek. I could feel them running to my ear and collecting in my hair. I didn't care enough to wipe them away.

My stomach rumbled. I was still hungry, but I didn't want anyone to see me crying, especially not Carlisle and Esme. They would worry.

How did things get to this point? What had I been thinking?

I was a terrible girlfriend. I had cheated on Edward, the guy I'd claimed to love so much.

But it wasn't something I'd planned. It hadn't been a one-night stand. I'd fallen in love.

I'd fallen in love with my boyfriend's brother, a man who'd turned into a brother to me. He'd become my lover…what was he now?

Had he used me? Had he just been curious about sex with a human?

But it all felt so real, so sincere. The kisses, the sex, every time he said he loved me - it felt more real than what I had with Edward.

There was a knock at the door. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, hoping whoever it was would go away.

No such luck. The door opened, and I could feel someone standing there.

"Bella, are you awake?" It was Esme.

I kept quiet. She waited a few seconds before setting something down and leaving the room.

I waited until I heard her footsteps walking away and sat up on the bed. A quick scan of the room showed me that Esme had left a sandwich on a plate and a glass of water on the dresser.

For some reason, this made me want to cry even more. She'd made me a sandwich. Esme would hate me when she found out what I'd done to her family. I took a deep breath to keep myself from getting emotional and my stomach growled to remind me just how hungry I was.

I got up and walked over to it, picked it up, and took a big bite. It didn't even matter what kind of sandwich it was.

Thankfully, though, it was a BLT. I took my time eating, chewing slowly, savoring every bite, stopping every once in a while only to wash the sandwich down with water.

When I was done, I set the empty glass on the plate. I hadn't even minded eating the bacon, which was something I always scolded Charlie for eating.

The sandwich had only appeased my hunger. I still felt terrible, and I still wanted to be alone. I turned the lock on the door and returned to the bed.

I covered myself with the comforter, and once again I had time to think.

I squeezed a pillow to my chest. I felt so alone. Tears rolled down my cheeks again; I tried to keep the noise down so no one would think I was awake.

Should I just give up? Go home? At least I'd be in my own bed. But I couldn't do that. I couldn't just run away from my problems, couldn't just run away from the Cullens. Charlie would pester me with questions, anyway. Not to mention I was in love with Emmett.

A refreshing breeze blew in through the doors I'd left slightly parted in Edward's room.

"Bella?" I heard someone whisper.

My stomach dropped and a cold sweat broke out all over my body; whoever it was had scared the living shit out of me. I sat up and looked towards the doors.

I was able to make out Emmett's body in the moonlight.

I laid back down so he wouldn't see that I'd been crying and prayed my voice wouldn't crack.

"What are you doing here?"

He answered in a low voice. I knew he didn't want anyone to hear us.

"I wanted to see you, but the door was locked."

I heard him approach me, but I refused to look at him.

"Shouldn't you be with your wife?" I asked. I hadn't planned to sound so bitter. I could feel his presence right next to the bed.

"Carlisle said she usually sleeps for eights hours, like a human."

"Well, you shouldn't be here anyway," I said. My response was childish, petulant, but I couldn't help it. I could feel myself wanting to cry again. I turned my back to him.

The tears rolled down my cheeks before I could stop them. Shit. I tried to keep perfectly still so he wouldn't realize what I was doing.

I felt his weight as he sat on the bed.

"Go away, Emmett." I tried to sound firm, composed, but I knew it was a lost cause. He had to know how badly I was feeling now. He put his hand over me onto the other side of the bed and leaned over to look at my face.

"Bella…why are you crying?" he asked. His voice sounded so sweet, so caring, so concerned and soothing. I shook my head and buried my face into the pillow.

Emmett tried to turn me on my back so he could take a better look at my face. I resisted, futilely of course. He was stronger then me and managed to get me to face him.

I couldn't look at him, though.

I bit down on my lips in an attempt to get myself together, but nothing worked.

"Bella, look at me."

I pretended not to hear him and continued looking at the moon through the window.

"Bella." This time he took my chin in his hands gently.

I finally looked at him, and for a second I couldn't breathe. He was so sweet and handsome and...not mine.

"Why are you crying?" he asked me again.

"Emmett, I love you." The words tumbled out of my mouth in an attempt to say them before more tears came.

He brushed a tear away from my cheek with his thumb and tasted it. I remembered when Edward had done the same thing.

"I love you too, Bella. You know that. I don't want to give you up."

"Then don't." I said, grabbing his hand.

"I never wanted to. Back in Ireland, you were the one who said-"

"Forget what I said in Ireland. I didn't know how terrible this would be. I love you, Emmett. I want to be with you forever."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, I've never been more sure. I want to be just yours forever. I want to live through eternity with you. Until the end of you, until the end of me."

He kissed me. I closed my eyes; my throat still felt knotted.

"Stay with me, please. At least until I fall asleep," I said.

He nodded, lying down next to me. I turned to face him and buried my face into his chest. I continued to cry and hugged him close to me. I didn't want to let go.

Just days ago, I'd thought my life had been complete with Edward, but now that I had Emmett I knew what it meant to be truly complete.

And I was fully aware that if we were to be together for eternity, I'd have to give up everything that made me human.

But life would be so much more fulfilling with him in my next life, as a vampire. It would be worth it.

I was ready. As long as I was with him, I was ready for anything.

Emmett began humming something to me.

"What is that?" I asked him sleepily.

"Hannah used to hum it when we would lay down together to hear our baby. She'd hum it to us, the baby and I."

"It's beautiful."

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

"Oh, Emmett, it's been so long since we've gone for a walk in the woods!" said Rosalie.

She was skipping barefoot on the carpet in front of me. All I could see were her golden locks bouncing around and the red dress she wore bouncing in unison through the hallway. She stepped back to grab my hand and pulled me along with her.

As we neared the kitchen, I could smell Bella and the scent of food. We entered, and Esme and Bella greeted us. Bella sat at the table stuffing her mouth with a forkful of egg and ham.

"Good morning," Esme said. Bella attempted a greeting as well, but she was unsuccessful due to the amount of food in her mouth. It was good to see her out of bed and eating. Her eyes followed Rosalie around the room as a precaution.

Rosalie acted as though they hadn't spoken. She was humming something and twirling through the kitchen. Her head was tilted back and her gaze was distant.

This wasn't Rosalie. Maybe it was a side effect of the injection, but I had to admit, it was still worrying. Something was off. She was in her own little world, and it seemed she and I were the only people who existed there.

"Esme…Bella." I smiled to them and nodded, holding Bella's gaze a little longer.

"Come on, baby." Rosalie pulled me to the door, slipping on some shoes before going outside.

I waved to the girls before stepping out after her.

We walked hand-in-hand on a trail into the woods. My white shirt helped reflect the sun away from me.

Rosalie was looking up at the sky when she said, "I was thinking. How about we get married?"

"But we've already been married, Rose, several times, remember?"

"Of course I do, silly. I mean, we should have a real wedding, not just a small ceremony with family. We should have a real, big, lavish wedding. We can do it in…in Ireland! Yeah, Ireland, we can do it with a human priest and everything. We'll invite everyone! And we can do it in the castle you told me about," she said excitedly.

I froze, and for a second I thought she knew what was going on between Bella and myself. There was no way. Still, she'd promised to never speak of my human past. It always led to us talking about my Hannah, Gem and Alana; I'd miss them and Rosalie would get jealous.

She'd gone into her depression knowing she couldn't give me something I had wanted as a human, something I'd been on the verge of with Hannah. A child.

But right now she didn't seem bothered by it. She was truly happy about her idea.

I didn't like this side of her. It was like she'd lost touch with reality.

"We'll see."

"Okay." She began to skip, acting like a child.

Which was funny, because not too long ago she'd given me hell for it.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked.

"Anywhere. Let time go by, let it fly, let's be freeeee," she sang, twirling. My eyes widened.

…Yeah. I really didn't like her this way.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

**(LATER THAT NIGHT)**

I put on some chapstick and smacked my lips together. I tightened my ponytail and took one last look at my outfit in the mirror.

I was wearing black jogging pants and a white tank top. He'd said to wear something comfortable, and this was as comfortable as it could get.

It wouldn't be long until I was to meet Jacob at the border between vampire and werewolf territory.

I looked down at my watch: 10:30 pm.

I checked my bag one more time, making sure I had packed all-white clothes, just as Jacob had said.

I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in." It was Carlisle.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "Positive. Jacob is my friend, Carlisle. He wouldn't hurt me."

Carlisle nodded. "Okay, I'll have to trust your judgment. Emmett said he would take you as close as he can get."

"Thank you." I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

I followed Carlisle out of the room, turning the light off as I stepped out.

"Emmett." I wasn't even sure Carlisle had spoken until Emmett appeared next to me. All I had seen was a blur come up the stairs.

"Yes, Carlisle?"

Just seeing Emmett again made me want to kiss him. I felt all warm inside again.

"Take Bella to Jacob Black. And please behave, Emmett, for all our sakes," Carlisle warned.

Emmett smirked and winked at me. "What do you mean, Carlisle? I always behave."

Now it was Carlisle's turn to smirk.

"Ready?" asked Emmett.

"Yup."

"Where's Rosalie?" Carlisle asked Emmett.

"She's with Esme. I'll be right back." Emmett said, taking my bag from me.

"Behave, Emmett." Carlisle said once more, and at the blink of an eye, he was gone.

"Come on." Emmett walked down the stairs. We passed the Cullens' living room and I was able to hear Rosalie and Esme talking about something that sounded fairly close to a wedding.

Once outside I hopped on to Emmett's back.

"Who's getting married?" I asked.

He began to run. The woods were dark, but I knew I was safe with him.

Still, there was an eerie feeling, like someone was watching us, and at any second someone would pop out and take me.

I couldn't see anything; the moonlight was blocked by the trees. I had to admit, even though I knew Emmett could see well in the dark I was afraid he would run right into a tree.

Emmett didn't answer. Instead, he asked me a totally unrelated question.

"Why do you like hanging out with these mutts?"

"They're my friends," I said, not bothering to correct his use of the word "mutts." There was a reason he was avoiding the question. "Who's getting married?"

As he began to slow down, I could tell we were out of the woods because the moon illuminated everything.  
He put me down on the grass and sighed.

"Rosalie wants to get married."

"Again?" I asked.

"Yes, but this time she wants a real wedding. A human wedding, basically. The past weddings were more symbolic. We didn't do the whole white dress, priest, rings."

"Oh." Even though I knew they were already married, I could feel my heart breaking. And he had to do it, or Rosalie would be even more suspicious.

"I don't want to, Bella."

I heard twigs cracking and someone called my name. "Bella?"

Emmett growled and we both turned to see Jacob.

"Hey." I tried furiously to suppress the sob welling up in my throat and faked a smile. Jacob was the last person who I wanted to see me upset.

He stepped closer but stopped a few feet from the line. He held his hand out so Emmett could hand him my bag.

Emmett threw the bag to him and Jacob caught it effortlessly.

"Ready?" Jacob asked me.

I nodded and looked up to Emmett. I smiled feebly and hugged him.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow," I said.

"Yeah…have fun," he said and walked away.

I watched, and not once did he turn around to make sure I was okay.

I sighed and turned to Jacob. I walked to him, now stepping into his territory.

"Let's do this," I said, smiling. It took a lot of energy to pull myself together.

"Okay. Just wait here a second." He ran into the trees. A magnificent wolf reemerged from the area Jacob had disappeared into.

He held on to my bag and his clothes in his mouth; to make it easier I stuffed his clothes into my bag.

Jacob leaned forward so that his chin touched the grass, and I was better able to climb on to him. His fur was thick, rich, soft; I grabbed on to it with a tight grip so I wouldn't fall.

He whimpered, which I took as him asking if I was ready.

"Ready," I said, holding on even tighter. Maybe this would be like riding a horse…a very big, furry horse.  
He began running fast, and at the height I was at it felt like I was on a roller coaster.

I could feel the impact of his paws on the ground vibrating through his body, each step making a loud thud.

My stomach started turning. Thankfully, I was able to see a bright, orange fire blazing in the dark. We were nearing a campfire.

"I think I'm going to puke," I yelled, making sure he heard me.

Jacob howled and leaped high into the air so he was already at the clearing. He leaned forward and I jumped off hurriedly. He turned into the woods with my bag to transform.

I clutched my stomach and vomited on the side of a tree. From the corner of my eye I saw people approaching.

"Hey, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked.

I spit and straightened up, wiping my mouth with my arm.

"Um, heeeey," I said, embarrassed. It was Sam.

"It's been a long time," he said and hugged me. It was like he hadn't just seen me throw up. As we broke the hug, he made a face.

"You smell like the leeches," he said.

I turned to see an entire group of people standing nearby. It looked like everyone was here, minus the elders.

"Bella!" Someone behind me wrapped two large arms around my waist and picked me up high into the air.

"Put her down, Seth," chuckled Jacob.

I felt the ground underneath my feet again. I turned to Seth and hugged him. He too had grown, just like Jacob had.

"Oh, God. Has anyone told you that you smell like le-" Seth began, scrunching up his nose.

"YES!" I said exasperated.

"Come on, we're roasting weenies." Seth wrapped his arm around my shoulder and walked towards the fire.

I suddenly felt him jerk back and pull away, and when I turned Jacob had his arm wrapped around me instead of Seth. He smiled innocently.

Jacob had pulled Seth away from me. I punched him playfully on the shoulder and smiled apologetically at Seth. Jacob led me to the campfire, where the rest of the pack greeted me.

There were two coolers full of hotdogs alone, and they were gone in a matter of seconds. I was so full I couldn't breathe.

"I'm still hungry," complained Jacob. I looked at him in amazement, but there were nods of agreement from other people, and they started searching for more food.

Then a man emerged from the trees accompanied by a young girl. The man was dressed in all-white clothing. A long, red scarf was tied around his waist like a belt, the ends of which fell to his knees. A small leather bag hung down at his side attached to the scarf. The man was a tall, fit, middle-aged man, who was actually rather attractive.

"Is he…" I whispered to Seth, who was at my side.

"Yeah, he's one of us. He's going to lead the ceremony. The girl is his mate," Seth said.

I gasped. She looked so young. I guess he must have imprinted on her.

She was shorter than me and wore a small, white shirt that didn't quite cover her tan torso. She was wearing a white, long skirt that was wrapped around her waist like a towel. Her long, dark hair reached the small of her back.

"Welcome," said Sam, assuming his position as Alpha and greeting the man. The rest of the group quieted.

The man nodded and looked around; naturally his eyes landed on me.

"You are...?" he asked seriously.

"She's welcomed," Sam answered.

"She smells of the cold ones," continued the man.

Jacob, who had returned to my other side, wrapped his arm around my waist protectively.

"She's _welcomed._" Sam repeated, this time looking pointedly at the man and emphasizing the last word.

"Very well," said the older man. He took his position on one of the logs around the fire.

Everyone followed suit and took seats around the circle, focusing their attention on him.

The girl handed him a small drum, and he began tapping it slowly, seconds apart from one hit to the next.

"Tonight's ceremony will begin with inward reflection, looking deep into our selves and seeing our past, present, and future. Some of you will not be able to see all three. In this bag," he said, untying the brown pouch strapped to his red belt, "are the ashes of past elders. When your turn comes, take a small amount."

The girl began playing a lilting tune on a flute as the man passed the bag to his right.

When it reached me, I stuck my hand into the bag. Inside it I felt something like sand, only finer and less grainy. I took my share and passed it to Jacob.

The bag eventually made it back to the man, and he spoke again.

"Once again, we'll go around the circle and look into the fire. When your turn comes, toss the ashes in the fire and tell me what you see." He looked up at Sam. "As leader of the pack, you must go first. Once you are done, you may choose who follows."

Sam nodded, reached his hand over the flames, and sprinkled the ashes into it.

The fire parted at the center, so it seemed as if it had a hole in the middle.

"I see…myself, younger…when I found out what I was…" said Sam, squinting into the fire.

"What else?" asked the man as he hit the drum, his mate still playing the flute.

"I see...Leah...my fiancée's cousin..."

Leah stiffened, as she looked at Sam with great interest.

I knew Sam had once been in love with Leah, before he imprinted on Emily. Then Sam smiled.

"I see Emily in a dress...a wedding gown…now she's holding a small child."

Leah looked away, down to her hands, as she slowly rubbed them, as if cold.

With his last words the hole in the fire closed up again. Sam closed his eyes for a few seconds and opened them.

"Tired?" asked the man. Sam nodded.

"Drink this." The man handed him a dark bottle. We watched as Sam opened it and steam came out. He took a sip and put the cover back on. "After you have looked into the fire, you may experience tiredness. It is a normal reaction. This ceremony uses your energy to get the vision."

Sam nodded, looked around the circle, and called Jacob's name. It only made sense; Jacob was, after all, the second in command.

Jacob took a deep breath and threw his share of ashes into the fire. Just as it had with Sam, the fire parted at the the center.

"I see…" he began and stopped. His eyes widened a little. I watched as Jacob swallowed, confused. "…I see...Bella. But...but when I try to look beyond her, I...I can't see anything."

With that the fire closed. I tried to act casual, but I could feel everyone's eyes on me. When I met a few gazes, people turned away hurriedly and cleared their throats.

They knew Jacob was in love with me.

He squeezed my arm and whispered, "Sorry, Bells."

I nodded. People were looking at him to hear his choice, and I already knew who he would pick.

"Bella."

He looked down at his feet. Sam passed the bottle to him, and he took a drink.

I felt uncomfortable; too much attention was on me for too long a period of time.

I leaned forward towards the fire quickly, reached over, and sprinkled my ashes in. I could feel the heat wash over my face.

I didn't know what to expect. The flames parted, dancing wildly around the center but never going towards it. I wondered briefly if that was what Sam and Jacob had seen.

"What do you see?" asked the man.

I was going to say I couldn't see anything when I suddenly began seeing images in the center of the fire. It was like being sucked out of the present, and seeing over everything instead of being a participant.I was floating.

"I see…James, and Edward saving me…now I see Jake, when he first showed me who he was…we are...kissing…" I blushed; the words were just tumbling out of my mouth at this point, but I knew these visions represented the past. Another image danced in the flames and I was thrown in. It felt so real, like I was there.

"I see…" And then Emmett came into view. I opened my mouth to speak and realized it wouldn't be the best idea. I lied.

"I see Edward's family, the Cullens...they are my family…now I see...myself."

Once again, the image shifted. I was trying hard to focus; it was getting blurry.

The vision began to sharpen. When I registered what I was seeing I gasped and my hands flew to my stomach.

"No," I breathed. I closed my eyes and shook my head in disbelief. When I opened them, I was back at the ceremony.

I tried to stand, but I felt weak. I felt Jacob's arm reach out to steady me. My mouth opened and closed just as quickly. I hadn't accepted the situation yet and there was no way this pack would.

The vision explained why I had been getting sick so often, why I had been feeling heavier. A tear streamed down my cheek.

"What's the matter?" Jacob asked, worried. He grabbed my arms and and tried to get me to face him. I brought my hand to my mouth and shook my head.

"She carries a child." said the man softly, but I knew everyone heard.

I looked across the fire at him. I couldn't even be angry that he'd spoken. There was a pause.

"What?"

It was Jacob's voice, full of disbelief and hurt. He let go of me quickly, as though I'd burned him.

The others gasped.

"That can't be." said Sam, standing up. "It isn't possible. She can't be pregnant, not by one of them. The cold ones cannot reproduce."

"I have to go," I said, to no one in particular. I could stand up now without getting dizzy, so I should be able to walk. My heart, on the other hand, was beating furiously.

I was carrying Emmett's child.

"Bella, no, wait!" Jacob said, coming after me. I didn't stop walking.

"We have to stop this. We can't let it be born." I heard Sam say.

I stopped and turned around. Sam stood there watching me, the others standing behind him, a flank.

Jacob looked at me. "You can't allow this thing to be born, Bella."

I took a couple steps back until my back bumped into a tree.

Jacob shook his head. "Please, you can't give birth to it. It will kill you."

I grabbed my stomach. The words seemed well-intentioned, but all I could hear was that they wanted to kill my baby. The pack had slowly begun to approach me, and I didn't feel safe anymore. I prepared myself to run when Seth jumped in front of me. He spread his arms out, protecting me.

"Move," growled Jacob menacingly.

"I won't let you hurt her," Seth said. His voice trembled subtly but remained firm.

"AND I WONT LET _IT_ HURT _HER_!" Jacob yelled in disbelief at Seth's disobedience.

"No."

"SETH, MOVE!" yelled Sam.

Instead, Seth came to my side and wrapped his arm around me.

"No. I can't do that, its not right." he said again. And with that he threw me onto his back, leaped into the air, transformed, and began running through the woods. Leaving his ripped clothes behind, along with the pack. It happened so quickly I barely had time to register what was going on.

I looked over my shoulder and saw that the others had transformed. I clutched to his fur tightly, my knuckles turning white.

Even through all the action, there was only one thing on my mind: _I'm pregnant…I'm pregnant._

I could hear the others howling. I couldn't see them, but they sounded close enough to catch up.

We reached a clearing and Seth let out an ear-piercing howl. He transformed back into a human and stood naked in front of me.

"BELLA!" I turned to see Emmett at the territory line. I owed Seth so much, but now wasn't the time to thank him properly. Instead, I looked at him, and he nodded to show he understood. I sprinted over to Emmett as I heard Seth change back into a wolf.

"What happened?" Emmett asked, alarm in his voice.

"We have to go." He immediately crouched down and I climbed on his back. When my hold on him was secure, he began to run back to the Cullens' home.

I looked over my shoulder and saw that the rest of the clan had joined Seth. Several pairs of eyes were focused in our direction. I recognized Jacob and he gave a loud, long howl. I could sense the hurt and frustration even when he was shifted.

"What happened?" Emmett asked again.

"They were…they want to…" How could I tell him? I gathered my resolve and blurted it out before I could chicken out: "I'm pregnant."

I slammed against Emmett's back as he lurched to a stop. The dirt made a grinding noise as he dug his feet into it. He put me down and looked at me.

"What?" he said slowly.

"I'm having a baby, Emmett." A million things raced through my mind, and the anxiety of it all brought tears to my eyes.

Emmett began to pace back and forth, running his hand through his short hair. His eyes glazed over almost imperceptibly.

"What?"


	20. You are my life

**A/N: Youtube or download the song**

**Bitter Sweet Symphony. By The Verve**, listen to it for an important part. Just to go with the drama of it.

* * *

**EMMETTS POV**

"Pregnant?" I echoed in disbelief, laughing a bit. It wasn't that the situation was funny; far from it. It was one of those nervous, shocked laughs.

"Pregnant," Bella confirmed.

But was it Edward's baby or mine?

Before I'd even finished thinking the question, I realized how dumb it was. It was mine, of course. Edward hadn't finished that day; she'd told me herself. Not to mention that even if he had finished, he wouldn't have been as careless as I was; he would have pulled out. I sat down on the ground and looked up at Bella.

"How is this possible?"

"Do I really have to explain?" Bella asked sarcastically.

"No, no. I mean, I know how it happened, but that's usually with two humans. A human and a vampire? That's never happened before...no one's ever heard of a child born to a human and a vamipire…"

My voice trailed off and I looked up at her and smiled. "Bella, I'm finally going to be a dad."

She smiled back and nodded, tears in her eyes. She bent down to hug me. "Our baby."

She sat down between my outstretched legs and leaned her back against my chest. I wrapped an arm around her and felt her stomach. It did seem to feel more firm, more rounded out.

But how could that be? It had only been two days since our return. She should only be 3-5 days pregnant now. I shook the thought away; I didn't want to frighten her, especially if she was already nervous.

"Are you scared?" I asked her. She thought about it for a moment.

"A little," she admitted. "But it's just the usual pregnancy fears about the pain and all that. I couldn't be more happy to have a baby with you."

I gently rested my chin on her head. "You know this is going to be dangerous," I said softly. She remained quiet.

"Nothing like this has ever happened in vampire history. I mean, there are cases of rape, but the human...well, it's never good for the human. He or she rarely survives the rape. Those that do are murdered shortly after." I turned Bella's face so that it was halfway facing me. The facts were grusome, but I wanted her to understand the risks. "This baby could hurt you, Bella. Who knows, it could even kill you. We don't know for sure what's growing inside of you."

* * *

**JASPER'S POV**

"He's slowing down." I yelled to Alice.

From the corner of my eye I spotted the WELCOME TO FORKS sign on the side of the road. Up ahead, Edward was still running.

We'd been chasing Edward for some time now, and it finally looked like we were going to catch up to him.

"We have to stall him. I'll need to take him down, and maybe that will give you enough time to get home and warn Emmett." I said.

Alice nodded. "Okay, I'm ready."

She raised her hands for me to hold. I jumped on to Alice's shoulders as she ran and grabbed on to her hands. Thanks to her vampiric nature, Alice was strong enough to hold me, despite her size. I was not as skilled at balancing myself as she was.

She threw me towards Edward and I landed directly behind him. I lunged forward quickly and we toppled to the ground.

"GO, ALICE!" I shouted, struggling to hold Edward down. She zoomed past us; the breeze from her speed was the only sign of her absence.

Edward pushed up in an attempt to flip me over, but I was holding onto him tightly with my legs and he ended up flipping with me. I held him down as he laid on top of me, struggling hard to free himself.

"LET GO!" Edward bellowed.

I ignored him and focused on maintaining my grip. He elbowed me and hit my ribs, and I grunted at the impact but never let go. Instead, I knocked my head against his and wrapped my arm around his neck.

"Edward, listen! I know you're upset, but you have to calm down!" I yelled.

"What if Emmett had slept with Alice instead of Bella?" he shouted back, trying to pry my arm away. I couldn't argue with that, but I had promised to get Alice time. I kept my grip on him, but he sensed that he had won me over.

"Jasper, I love her. She's my life! You know how much I've done for her, what she's done for me. Everyone in the family found their true love years ago; it took me a century to find her! How else could I react?" His plea was desperate. Edward was devestated, hurt, angry, betrayed, and he had every right to feel those things.

I released my hold on him. He rolled off of me and helped me to my feet.

"Don't do anything stupid," I warned him.

"I can't make any promises."

* * *

**JACOB'S POV**

"Sam, that's enough," I said firmly, watching Seth cry silently.

Sam was teaching Seth a lesson for being disobedient, and Seth was curled up on the floor, wounded badly.

"He needs to learn respect," Sam growled, kicking Seth across the face for emphasis. Seth turned his head to spit a tooth and mouthful of blood. It looked like one of his back teeth. I stepped between the two of them.

"That's enough." My voice rang with the authority of a pack leader. I held my head up, trying to show Sam that he may be the Alpha, but I too had authority.

"What? Jacob, he didn't just let Bella leave, he took her right to that...thing!" Sam said with a shiver.

"I think he has the idea." I turned to Seth and helped him up. He staggered to a tree and leaned against it.

"Seth, you are no longer a member of this pack until we decide you are fit to return. Assuming the first person you run to will be Bella, tell her and the leeches to expect to hear from us soon. This thing will not be born," I said.

Seth kept his gaze lowered, looking to the ground. He nodded, limped to the line, and hesitated for a moment. Seth had never left La Push without the pack, but now he had no choice. He turned to us one last time before taking off into the woods towards the leeches.

I looked at the others, all of whom were avoiding my eyes. I turned to Sam.

"Are you ready for what we have to do?" I asked him.

"I think I should be asking you that. Bella can get hurt during this. You know that, right?" Sam asked.

I looked away.

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"I don't care. If I have to die for the baby to live, then I'll do it. All that really matters now is keeping it safe." I looked up at Emmett, rubbing my stomach protectively. "I'm going to be a mother. It's my job to keep this baby safe now."

"How do we explain this to the others?" Emmett asked, thinking aloud.

"Right now, we have to focus on the baby. Sam, Jacob, and the rest of the pack all know. They want to kill it."

I explained what I'd seen in the visions and the realization that I was pregnant. I told him how Sam and Jacob had said they wouldn't let the birth take place, and because they were pack leaders the rest of the pack would follow suit.

Except Seth, who had brought me to the territory line. I felt a pang of guilt and gratefulness; I knew he would pay for helping me.

"They want to kill the baby?" Emmett asked worriedly. "But how were they going to do that without hurting you?"

"I don't know," I said, realizing that even Jacob wanted to hurt my baby, possibly at my expense. I whispered, "Maybe that doesn't matter."

Jacob...he was my best friend. Would he really kill me if it came to that? Maybe Emmett had been right when he'd said I couldn't be sure about him.

"We have no choice but to tell Carlisle. The mutts will not let this go. I mean, they've been looking for any little reason to fight us, and here's a big reason. They're going to declare war." he said.

"But you didn't kill anyone." I protested.

"No, but they'll claim that the baby could pose a threat to humans, and I'm sure they realize this is endangering your life. And it doesn't help that one of their leaders is in love with you. When they give a command, the rest of the pack must follow."

"Seth didn't." I whispered.

"Trust me, he's going to pay for that."

We both looked down as my stomach rumbled.

"We have to go." Emmett picked me up in his arms and ran back to the Cullens' home.

I was going to be a mother…I still couldn't believe it.

How was I going to explain this to Charlie, Mom, Carlisle, Rosalie? How could I tell Edward? At the thought of him, my heart sank. Dread and heavy guilt sunk into the pit of my stomach, and I tried to swallow back my tears. This would hurt him so much.

My thoughts were focused on this, and I didn't realize we were already inside the house until I heard Esme.

"Is everything okay? Why is she crying? What happened?" Esme asked, alarmed.

"Get Carlisle," Emmett said as he carried me up the stairs to Edward's room. I looked over at Esme and saw Rosalie enter the room.

"EMMETT!" she roared. "Why are you carrying the human? Put her down!"

Esme held Rosalie back.

"Not now, Rose," Emmett said with his back to her.  
He slammed the door shut with his foot when we reached Edward's room. Still, I could hear Rosalie screaming hysterically downstairs. He set me on the bed.

"I have to throw up," I said and turned to the side of the bed. I couldn't control it, but it didn't matter because Emmett was already holding the wastebasket to my face. I threw up into it, my energy draining so I couldn't even turn to see who it was knocking at the door. I knew it was Carlisle by the sound of his voice.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked as I vomited again. He walked over and put his hand on my forehead. "Bella, you're warm."

My nausea was subsiding, and Emmett and I exchanged glances. We didn't know how to begin. Carlisle flashed his eyes to Emmett and then back to me, waiting, already growing suspicious.

"Did the Quileutes hurt you?" Carlisle asked me. I shook my head.

"Carlisle, she...she's pregnant." Emmett put his hand on my shoulder. Carlisle was silent. I looked up at him, and he seemed to be taking it in, a child born to a vampire and human.

"Your life is at risk, Bella, but I assume you're aware of that," Carlisle said. I nodded.

"Well then." A grin spread across his face. "Congratulations. I'm sure Edward will be very happy to hear this."

Emmett closed his eyes and bit down on his lip. I hung my head, and Carlisle's grin slowly disappeared.

"It's not Edward's." said Emmett softly. He reached for my hand and cleared his throat. "It's mine."

I couldn't help looking at Carlisle; I kind of felt like I deserved to see the disappointment in his face as my punishment. He was looking at our hands and his mouth opened.

But before he could speak, we heard a crash from downstairs and a desperate scream.

"EMMETT! RUN! RUN, EMMETT!" It sounded like Alice.

Seconds later she slammed open the door to Edward's room and barged in, trailed by Esme and Rosalie.

"Run! You have to go!"

"What's the matter?" Carlisle asked her.

"EMMETT! RUN!" But Emmett was so confused that he stayed in place, unable to register what was happening. Alice shoved him in an attempt give him a head start, but he didn't budge an inch. "He knows! Edward-"

And then we heard a hiss from the open doors of the balcony.

I was only able to see Edward appear there; the rest was a fast blur. Somehow, Edward ended up on top of Emmett. Something slammed against the bed, and I could only hear the rest because the bed began to fall apart.

Carlisle scooped me up just before the bed completely caved in and held me in his arms. I winced as I felt a pain in my stomach. I looked down to see what was wrong and was momentarily stunned. My stomach looked bigger already, and it even felt like it was stretching.

I shook my head and looked up. I couldn't make out much of what was going on; this fight was much faster than the one between Alice and Rosalie, spurred on by strong emotions on either side. I could only hear hisses. And then Emmett cried out in pain.

"Edward! I don't want to hurt you!" I heard Emmett yell.

Edward laughed bitterly. "It's a little too late for that."

There was a tremendous boom, and I was sickened by the thought that one had punched the other.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

"You son of a bitch," Edward growled. I felt his foot make contact with my stomach as he kicked me with all his strength. I slammed against the bookshelves lined with his CD collection and they rained down around me on the floor.

The others in the room screamed and ran out, Carlisle with Bella in his arms. They wouldn't be able to stop this fight.

But how did Edward find out?

Of course. Alice must have seen something.

It wasn't her fault. She couldn't keep her thoughts from Edward the way I could; she'd never really had reason to. Besides, sweet, little, ol' Alice could never lie to one of us.

I barely felt the items on the bookshelf hit me. What did hurt was the bite he had given me on my neck.

He was coming towards me again to jump back on me, so I punched him in the face and knocked him back into the wall. He went through it easily, making a hole through the wall and landing outside in the hallway.

Carlisle turned his back to us, to Bella would not get her, in an attempt to protect the others as well, while they ran to the staircase.

I hadn't seen him come in, but Jasper was there too, trying to pin Edward down. Edward, however, was faster than him, and he hit Jasper behind the neck.

Whatever Edward had done to him had made Jasper motionless. Alice screamed and was by his side in an instant.

Then I saw Rosalie run towards him. She hit him over the head with one of Esme's vases. Rose was fully aware the vase wouldn't hurt him; she meant for it to serve as a distraction to allow her to jump on Edward's back.

"Leave him alone!" she screamed, pulling his hair.

I was afraid he would hurt her like he'd hurt Jasper, but luckily Esme pulled her away and pinned her to the ground. She kicked her legs.

"Tell him to leave my husband alone." she demanded.

Edward looked at her and scoffed. "Your husband? Do you know what your so-called 'husband' has done?"

I took the opportunity to jump on him when he wasn't looking and finally pinned him down.

"I don't want to hurt you!" I said to him.

"Well, you keep saying it but you obviously never gave a damn about that, did you?" Edward spat out bitterly, pushing me off. I rolled down the stairs, ricocheting between the wall and rail. I could hear the pictures hanging on the wall falling to the ground and shattering.

I hit the first floor landing with a loud, cracking sound like thunder. As soon as I made contact with the ground, Edward was on top of me again. He put his hand to my neck and dug his nails into the wound he'd made before.

I let out an involuntary cry of pain. I grabbed desperately at his hand and twisted it at the wrist until I heard a snap.

He howled and pulled back, holding up his hand to look at it. The bones were sticking out. He was breathing hard, his mouth open as he looked at his wrist.

"AH," he said, his eyes wide in his pain and disbelief.  
I grabbed my neck; it still stung terribly.

"Oh my God!" I heard Bella say. "Stop it, stop it! Edward, I'm pregnant! Emmett's the father!" she yelled as she ran down the stairs. Everyone froze.

"Nooooooo!"

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

I reached Edward at the bottom of the stairs and only had enough time to turn around when I heard Rosalie scream. "Noooooo!"

I looked up to the second floor landing and saw her clutching two fists full of her hair, her eyes squeezed shut and her face twisted by pain and anger.

Suddenly, while I was looking at her, she opened her eyes wide and hissed at me. "You bitch!"

Jasper grabbed her hands and secured them behind her back. She fought to get away, jumping, kicking the air, thrashing her head around, screaming. Alice and Esme took hold of Rosalie's legs.

"Take her to her room. I'll go get a needle," Carlisle said, trying to make himself heard over the noise before rushing away.

The other three were holding her up so her body seemed to be floating in the air. She was squirming but somehow managed fix her gaze on me.

"How could you? You fucking human, you filthy whore!" She spit in my direction. "Emmett is **_my_** husband! I was the one who needed to give him a child, not you!"

As they carried her out of the room, I could hear her screaming. "I told you she was trying to steal him from me! I told you all! And everyone thought I was crazy!"

They hauled her away. Even with the door closed I could hear her screaming. I turned to see Edward sitting down on the ground. He was still breathing hard, looking at his wrist. He closed his eyes and grabbed his hand; with one hard push I watched as he popped his bones back under his skin with a disgusting noise. His skin tore open again to allow the bones in. He just sighed in pain.

Emmett sat up and pushed himself away from Edward with his feet. Once he was far enough, he stood up.

"Edward-" Emmett tried. But Edward shot him a look and held up his hand.

"Don't. Nothing you could or will ever say will make me forgive you." He stood up and pointed at me, still addressing Emmett. "How could you? How could you be so selfish, that you could take the only person I ever loved away from me?"

His voice broke. I knew that if he could, he'd be crying right now.

It was too much. Rosalie was going crazy, the Cullens probably hated me, and look at what I'd done to two brothers. I started crying. I never thought things would turn out like this. I grabbed my stomach as Edward continued.

"Why Bella? You've had Rosalie for so long! It took me years; no a whole century! to find Bella. And you were there to see how alone I felt. You were there to see how happy and complete she made me. I risked everything I had for this girl!"

Emmett listened silently and hung his head. We'd hurt Edward so much, and there was nothing we could do to make it better for him. It hurt me to know this, and I could barely see from all the crying.

But Emmett and I loved each other; there was no deying it. He could sense my feelings and held his hand out to me. I hesitated for a moment and walked to him, taking his hand.

"Edward, we never - this wasn't a fling or a one-night stand. I love Bella. I can't deny how she makes me feel." Emmett looked at Edward pleadingly. "We're having a baby together," he said softly.

"Well, that's comforting. Thank you, Emmett, that's exactly what I wanted to hear," said Edward sarcastically with a wry smile. He narrowed his eyes at him, then looked at me. "Do _you _love him?"

I nodded, crying. "I'm sorry."

Edward turned to his side and put his hand to his mouth. I noticed that his wrist was healed. I looked at Emmett; his neck too had healed.

Edward nodded and rubbed his lips with his middle finger, index, and thumb.

"There's nothing here to save, nothing left for me here. You think you could love this girl better? Go on and try." he said, pointing at me.

**[[ START BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY by THE VERVE NOW ]]**

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

I gasped as I realized what it was. He set it casually onto a step. I looked up as I saw Jasper and Alice standing at the top of the staircase. Edward grabbed my hand, bowed his head, and kissed it.

"Congratulations." He looked at both Emmett and me. Emmett cleared his throat.

"Edward." I called, but my only reply was the slam of a door. When I turned around, Jasper was at my side. Alice was behind him, holding out the small box from Edward.

Jasper was saying something to Emmett, and by the looks on their faces, they seemed to be arguing. But I couldn't hear anything, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Alice opened the box and turned it for me to see.

A brilliant, gleaming, sparkling princess-cut engagement ring, rested directly in the center of the box. Engraved on the inside of the band were a lion and lamb and a small heart between them. Next to them were the words "You are my life."

Alice snapped the box shut and pressed it to my chest, so I grabbed it. She shook her head and walked towards the door after Edward. I turned to see Jasper and Emmett yelling at each other.

I sat down on the bottom stair and sobbed.

Jasper was pointing to me and then at the door. He shook his head at Emmett and pushed him back with one hand, following after Alice and Edward. Emmett came over to me and kneeled.

"I'm sorry," he said, my hearing restored.

"What have we done?" I asked in disbelief.

"What's going on!" Esme asked as she took in the destruction of the room and came downstairs.

I shook my head, tears running down my face and more welling up in my eyes. I couldn't explain this again, not to Esme.

Emmett stood up, took a deep breath, and told her everything.


	21. What's done is done

**EDWARDS POV**

"Edward wait!"

I stopped as I heard Alice calling out to me, she was joined along with another pair of foot steps. Jasper.

I stopped and waited for them to catch up to me.

"What?" I asked irritated.

Alice put her hands on her waist.

"Excuse me, but if you haven't noticed, we are on your side. You don't have to be such a prick." She said.

I felt bad. "I'm sorry. What are you doing here?" I asked

"What Emmett and Bella did was not right. We agree with you on that part. But what are you going to do? We're family, you can't just walk out on us. That one time when we thought we lost you, because of Bella. We missed you" Jasper said

"I'm not going back there, If they are happy together, then I don't want to disturb them any longer." I said.

The thought of knowing Emmett had her, was piercing me like bolt of pain, far more then I could want.

"She still loves you." Jasper said.

What did he know, if she loved me, she wouldn't have don't this to me.

She would have picked me over Emmett.

"How do you know?" I asked, my voice louder then before.

"It's like saying, how do you know what I'm thinking? Its my gift remember. She's just confused right now. She's in love with you, but she carrying Emmett's child. So she has feelings for him as well. " he said.

I shook my head. "I'm no use anymore."

"Oh god, your not going to the Volturi again are you?" Alice asked

I looked away, I had planned on it for a second there.

Alice grabbed my hand. "Edward, you'll find another girl-"

I closed my eyes. "What in another hundred years? No I don't think so Alice, Bella was the one I was waiting for. If it was so easy to find someone, I wouldn't have been a lone for so long." I said.

"But you are the one who choose to stay home. You had so many beautiful woman trying to be with you, even our kind." Jasper said

"And they didn't have what I wanted." I said.

"If you go to them… then I will too. You're my brother, and I will not abandon you." Alice said, referring to the Volturi.

Jasper put his hand on my shoulder. "_We_ won't abandon you."

What? Were they serious, I'm not planning to go visit the Volturi for a stroll.

"No." I said

"Your so cute for thinking you can change our minds." Alice said tapping the tip of my nose.

--

--

**EMMETTS POV**

"How could you do this to Edward? Where is he?" Esme asked me.

Carlisle had joined us.

"He's gone," Bella said. Her voice sounded out there.

She got up, and I noticed that her stomach was slightly bigger.

How the hell did that happen?

Esme gasped. "This is true."

Carlisle grabbed Bella. "I think its best you go lay down, I need to run some tests on you." His voice sounded indifferent.

He didn't seem to be surprised or bothered by what was happening, but that didn't mean he had known about this.

Bella didn't refuse, she looked at me and spread her arms out like a child.

I picked her up and followed Carlisle up to Edward's room.

Each step felt like stepping deeper into an outer body experience.

Was this how it felt to dream?

Setting Bella down on the bed, Carlisle excused himself, he would soon be back with his items.

"I'm growing." Said Bella

"How? Your no more then a week pregnant." I said

"Emmett look at me." She said lifting her shirt up.

She grabbed my hand and rested it on her stomach, it felt harder then what it used to.

Her stomach was puffed out, as if she had just had a big meal.

To anyone else, she didn't seem any different.

But for someone who knew her, and knew her body, the difference was unmistakable.

I frowned, how could this be?

I turned when I heard Carlisle's footsteps.

"Esme would like to speak with you… son." Carlisle said opening up his medical bag.

I nodded. I turned to Bella, and kissed her forehead.

She felt incredibly warm.

"I'll be right back." I said to her.

She nodded not looking at me, but at the mess on the floor.

The CDs and items that had been knocked down, during the fight.

Before stepping out I looked at Carlisle, I needed to know we had his understanding at least.

I know none of this was correct, but at least some compassion from someone would be fine.

His eyes met mine, and he nodded, a awkward smile curled on his lips.

I closed the door behind me, and looked over the edge of the stairs.

I could see Esme, she had her back to me, but she knew I was there.

"How could you?" she asked.

In a breeze, I was at her side.

"Esme, believe me when I tell you it just happened. Rosalie was pushing me away, Edward left Bella. Our feelings just grew. If you think I'm going to say I'm sorry, even if I am… I won't say it, because the outcome is a child. I'm going to be a father Esme. And that is something I am willing to stand for. Even if it means hurting Edward."

She raised her hand, I closed my eyes, and turned me cheek to her.

I waited for the impact of her hand, but felt nothing.

I opened my eyes, and managed to hug her as she wrapped her arms around me.

She sobbed, her tearless eyes showing sadness.

"I'm going to be a grandmother?" she said looking up at me.

I nodded

"How is it, with joy, sadness always soon follows?" she asked me.

I didn't know how to answer her.

"It gets worse." I said

"What can possibly be worse." She said staring up at me.

"The mutts of La Push know about Bella's pregnancy, they wanted to kill the baby." I said

Esme brought her hand to her chest.

Fear and shock on her face. "So this is why."

I frowned, did she know something, I didn't?

"Alice saw us going against the Quileutes. She just didn't understand why." She said

_You have to be kidding me._

_Just when I thought it was bad enough, we're going to fucking war._

--

--

**BELLAS POV**

I shuddered as I felt my stomach do a turn.

It felt like I was starving, but I really didn't feel any hunger.

Since Emmett had left, Carlisle had not said a single word to me.

Not even when he drew blood out from my arm.

"I don't understand." I said

Carlisle turned from his bag to look at me.

"What's that?" he asked

I lifted my shirt to show him.

"What's happening, why is my stomach growing so fast?" I said.

I pressed down on it. It felt harder again.

"Because of Emmett, the baby is obviously not growing at the normal rate of a regular pregnancy. At your size now, you appear to be two months pregnant. And this is all in the course of…" He looked at me for an answer.

"Six days." I said slowly.

He cleared he throat. "Luck of thee Irish?" he said, he was clearly trying to clear my discomfort with humor.

I didn't even smile.

He nodded to himself and turned to his bag, returning to me with a stethoscope.

He checked me, and hesitated before lifting my shirt up to set it on my stomach.

He stood quiet, moving it around my stomach, listening.

Then only said. "Interesting."

"Is my baby okay?" I asked.

He looked up at me, and took off the stethoscope.

"Its heart is faster then what I normally hear. It's actually beating at this rate, at this stage already. But the baby seems to be fine. I'm going to have to monitor you frequently. I've never dealt with anything like this. You on the other hand, seem to be having a fever." He said

I nodded. "Okay... Carlisle, I feel embarrassed. I don't know how to explain this. Its all my fault, I'm breaking the family."

He shook his head. "What is done, is done, no one can forsaken you or this child. Emmett is my son, and you are like a daughter to me. I will protect and do whatever it takes to defend this."

"But Rosalie is messed up now. Edward, Alice, and Jasper left." Then I gasped. "What if Edward goes to the Volturi again?" I tried getting up, but Carlisle made me lay down.

"Alice and Jasper are with him. Right now, you need to worry about your health, and this child's health. We will all get through this." He said the last part more to himself, as if trying to convince himself.

--

--

**EMMETTS POV**

I wrinkled my nose. And got into a low stance.

"Do you smell that?" I asked Esme.

She did the same. "Its time?" she asked

"Carlisle." I said loud enough for him to hear.

In seconds he was at our side, holding himself the same as us.

"It's the La Push mutts." I said to him.

"Stay." He said to both Esme and me.

I knew he wanted to check who it was first, because he was a peaceful man.

Unlike me, I wouldn't have asked questions, I would have gone straight to the throat.

The mutts knew there place, and it wasn't beyond the treaty line.

He reached to the door and opened it.

Esme and I stood up and stepped right behind him.

"Time?" I said squeezing around Esme, so I was standing in front of them.

I balled my fists, ready for whatever it was to come.

"Now." He said. "Emmett stay."

I smirked, he knew me too well.

The three of us stared out to the dark woods.

We couldn't make anything out.

And then I smelled it, it was a nose curling smell.

It smelled of spoiled blood. The very thought of tasting it, made me want to vomit. I swallowed and clenched my teeth down hard, as I felt the feeling.

I covered my nose with the side of my arm.

I was able to hear a single heart beat out in the woods..

It was only one of them, and they were hurt.

Idiots, why would one come alone and wounded?

That made them even defenseless.

And right now, I was looking for a challenge.

Unless if it was… Jacob? Stupid mutt was in love with Bella after all.

But would he be _that _idiotic, to come for her in this state, and expect to win?

I went back to my low stance, as I saw a shadow emerge from the dark woods.

They collapsed on the ground.

Then I realized it was Seth, he had protected Bella.

And had paid heavily for it.

I ran to him, Esme calling out for me to come back.

I could hear Carlisle and Esme running behind me.

"Its Seth. He helped Bella reach the line, before they could get to her." I said over my shoulder.

Reaching to him, I had to hold my breath.

I didn't need to breath, but having been used to it after years, to appear more human.

I felt a great discomfort and desperation not doing it, and out of habit I inhaled again.

He smelled awful.

"Please don't. I don't mean any harm." He said to us weakly.

"I know." I said lifting his head up. So I could take a better look at him.

"Damn, did they do this to you?" I asked him. I could feel all the heat coming from him.

He nodded. "I disobeyed my brothers." His voice broke, as I realized he was crying.

"Carlisle, he needs help." I said. "Can you walk?" I asked Seth.

"It hurts, it took me so long just to get here. I tried ignoring the pain, but my side hurts." He said

"Does it hurt when you breathe?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, it took all my strength to just get here." Seth said

"Sounds like he may have some broken ribs. We need to get him in the house." Carlisle said.

"Will he be okay?" Esme asked.

Seth answered her. "We are fast healers, not as fast you lee- vampires. But I'll be fine. It's just the current pain. Is Bella okay?"

I picked him up into my arms, he winced and moaned in pain.

His body felt flaming hot against me.

"Esme put an extra space for him in Edwards room." Said Carlisle.

I was sure, this would make it easier for him, to watch both of them.

Esme nodded and departed.

"Come on." Carlisle said to me, he walked ahead of us.

I could have ran Seth up to Edwards room, but I was too scared for him to continue to hurt.

I was sure it had been a painful experience for him, both mentally and physically.

"I'm sorry." He said

"For what?' I asked him

"I bet I must smell horrible to you. And I'm getting all this blood on you." He said

I smirked. "That's the least you have to worry about. Besides you mutts always smell awful. I should be thanking you, for protecting Bella. You choose not to listen to your brothers." I said

Now going up the stairs inside.

"Of course there's not need to thank me _leech_, I love Bella like a sister. I know she's in danger to have this baby, but it's Edwards and her choice. I don't see it right to terminate the baby, because as bad as it may come out, it may also come out good. Do you understand what I mean?" He asked.

I nodded. "Its not Edward's baby."

As we entered Edwards room.

Seth looked over at Bella. She was sleeping.

"Whose is it then?" He asked

"Mine." I said.

He snapped his head to me. And moaned in pain.

As he had his mouth open in disbelief, I noticed he had a front tooth missing.

Poor bastard, they got him good.

Then I smirked to myself, I was being such a hypocrite, after what had happened with Edward.

Esme was setting pillows on a small bed she had set on the side of Edwards's open doors.

The same ones he had came in through earlier.

"I figured you'd like to look out to the moon." Esme said shyly to Seth.

"Thank you." Seth said wincing as I set him down on the bed.

"I don't want to move you, so I'm going to have to rip your shirt off." I said to him.

Seth nodded, seeing this, with one pull his shirt came right off.

Soon after Carlisle was bandaging and cleaning him up.

Carlisle and Esme left to prepare him something to eat.

"We'll be back with your food, I know you werewolves eat a lot." I said smiling.

He looked up at me serious.

I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm.

His grasp a burning flame.

"They're going to come, and they will fight for the baby. You know Jacob is in love with Bella right? Although its part of our law to not hurt each other's imprint, this unexpected pregnancy may have changed that. I give you my word when I say, I will protect Bella and the baby. But the pack is my family, even if I have been eliminated from it for now." He said

I patted his hand, to show him I understood. "Rest, I will wake you-"

He nodded and closed his eyes.

And much to my surprise before I could even say the rest of my sentence, he was already snoring.

I went over to Bella and sat on the side of the bed.

Without even the slightest effort, the bed did not give away to my weight.

I laid closely with her and closed my eyes, I rested my hand on her stomach and inhaled her scent.

I was brought back to a distant memory… my precious Hannah, our un born baby. I lightly caressed Bella's stomach, making sure not to wake her.

I kissed her stomach over her shirt and began humming the same tune Hannah would.

There was no way I was going to let history repeat its self. No, not again.

--

--

**BELLAS POV**

I awoke when I heard a loud belch.

I snapped open my eyes and sat up.

Only to look down at my stomach.

"You have to be kidding me." I said out loud

My stomach had appeared to grown during my sleep.

"Hey Bella!" said someone in the room.

I looked towards the open doors, viewing the woods and saw Seth.

He was laying down bare shirted, his tan chest exposed. His torso was wrapped up.

On his lap, was an empty plate

"Seth?" I said. Yeah this had to be a dream, a wolf here at the Cullen's. HAH!

"Oh thank god it's just a dream." I said. That meant my stomach hadn't really grown, it was all a crazy dream.

Seth gave me a weird look. "What are you talking about- WHOA." He said looking down at my stomach.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. As I realized this wasn't a dream.

He set his plate down and stood up. Holding his breath, it seemed to hurt to move.

"Oh nothing." He said

… They had done this to him.

"How could Jacob have allowed them to do this?" I asked, my voice sounding shaky.

Seth patted his knee.

"It was Sam and him who did this." He said

"What?!" I asked

_I really didn't know Jacob after all._

"I feel better really. Thanks to the doc, the leeches aren't too bad. The big one carried me up from near the woods, and the woman made me food. Surprisingly since they don't even food." He said

I made a metal note to thank them later.

"The doc is Carlisle, the big one Emmett, and the woman is Esme." I informed him.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Yeah." I said smiling.

"Is it true that your pregnant with the big ones kid, I mean Emmett?" he asked.

".. yes?" I said. How did he know? "Does Jacob know?"

"No. not yet. I won't tell him, but you know he will find out. And he won't be any less upset.' He said.

He looked up towards the door. "Someone's coming. Oh I hope it's more of that chicken thing they made for me." He said happily.

Expecting to see Emmett or Esme at the door, as it opened, we were surprised to see a flow of blood hair.

My heart started pounding as Rosalie peeked in.


	22. The first kick

**BELLA'S POV**

My eyes, still heavy from sleep, widened quickly. My fear was paralyzing, and I couldn't move.

I could scream, though. I was about to do just that when, Rosalie was sitting next to me.

"Shh, shh, shh. No, no, no. Don't scream," she said, covering my mouth.

"Get away from her, leech!" demanded Seth. He stood up and growled at her. Rosalie hissed at him in return but ignored him. She turned to me.

"I don't want to hurt you, Bella," she said.

I hugged my stomach. There was no way I could trust Rosalie.

"Get away from her," Seth growled.

"Stop yapping, dog, or I'll bite you, and there won't be any way to heal from that!"

He growled angrily and I could see his facial features beginning to change. He was going to phase, and I had to do something quickly.

I shook my head and held my hand up, stopping Seth.  
He sat back down slowly, but on the edge of the bed. I knew he was staying prepared just in case he was needed.

"What do you want, Rosalie?" I asked after she removed her hand from my mouth. She smiled, which was unnerving because I'd never seen her do it…not around me, at least.

"Well, look, Bella, I've had some time to think, and hey, what's done is done, right? To be perfectly honest and clear, I do not forgive you for…sleeping with my husband. I never will." She clenched her teeth in an attempt to control her temper. "But.. you're carrying something I can't, Emmett's child. I want your permission to allow me to love it as though I were its…aunt…godmother. That's all I want."

I remained silent and tensed as she raised her hand towards my stomach and gently set it down. The bed Seth was on creaked as he stood up; he was ready to attack.

Rosalie didn't seem to notice him, but continued to smile at my stomach, caressing it.

The coldness of her hand was actually soothing to my fever. So soothing that it was relaxing me, and my fear of Rosalie dwindled away.

Call me crazy, but I believed her. If she had actually wanted to hurt me, she would have done it already. Not even Seth could stop her; she was far too fast and experienced for him.

If I hadn't known Jasper was gone, I would have sworn he was in the room manipulating our feelings.

"This little guy is going to be so spoiled," Rosalie said.

"And how do you know it's a guy!" said Seth defensively.

It was like I was in a trance, or still sleeping, dreaming. Rosalie was in the same room, being pretty friendly. Seth, sworn enemy was in the house. What the hell was going on?

Was I dreaming? Was Rosalie really here offering up a truce? Could I trust her?

We were all interrupted when the door opened, and Emmett came in carrying a new plate of food.

He saw Rosalie and dropped the food to the groaned hungrily at the wasted food, which looked like the chicken and rice dish he'd been hoping for.

Before I could even open my mouth, Rosalie was pinned to the floor.

"Emmett, get off me," Rosalie said casually.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked me over his shoulder.

"I'm fine. It's okay, she isn't going to hurt me," I said.

"Yeah, right," he said dubiously.

"Look at me, Emmett. I'm on the floor. When have you ever been able to keep me down this long without a fight?" she asked pointedly. Emmett thought about it and looked at me. I nodded, and he let her up. She dusted off her clothes and looked at Emmett.

"So, yeah, I'll admit, I'm not happy that you two slept together. Matter of fact, it pisses me off everytime I think about it." She took a deep breath and continued. "I've always wanted a baby, but thats impossible. I figure if I can't have the baby, I can be a part of his life. What you guys did isn't his fault," Rosalie said.

"How do you know its a he?" Seth called from the back.

Emmett was silent. I knew he was thinking about whether or not he could believe her.

"What do you think?" Emmett asked me.

I shrugged my shoulders slowly. "I believe her."

Seth was sniffing the air, the house smelled of the chicken dish Emmett had dropped. He began panting the way I'd seen plenty of dogs do. He was still hungry.

Rosalie smiled. "Look, Em, we can work this out. You're my husband, so you belong with me, but that does not mean you can't be the father of this child. We can all help Bella," she said.

_"If only Edward was this understanding."_ I thought. It was a complete relief to see how accepting of the situation Rosalie was.

But my thoughts drifted back to Edward.

I had to find a way to apologize to him, to let him know how sorry I was that I'd hurt him. I pictured the little box I had tucked into the nightstand.

* * *

**EMMETT'S POV**

It would be so much easier to just believe Rosalie. I wanted to, but something in me was resisting.

I knew her far too well, and this was not something she would accept as easily and quickly as she had.

Still, could I be wrong? Was her acceptance a result of our finally having a child in the family?

"Rosalie, you may be my wife, but if you ever lay a finger on Bella and my baby…our relationship will no longer matter. Nothing will stop me from laying my hands on you anymore. Do you understand me?" I looked at her pointedly to make sure she understood as well as to see her reaction. "Screw this being-a- gentleman bullshit."

I expected her to get pissed off at my defense of Bella, but to my surprise she only smiled.

"Crystal clear, like the very diamonds on this ring."

She flashed the last wedding ring I'd given her in the air. I knew she was rubbing our marriage in Bella's face as well as reminding me of our vows.

I heard an exaggerated sigh in the other corner of the room. I looked over and remember that Seth was in the room. He was looking at the splatter of food on the floor.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry..."

"Do you have anymore?" he asked sheepishly. I wanted to go downstairs to get him a new plate, but I was scared to leave Rosalie alone with them.

If she bit Seth, the venom would sink into his system quickly. And chances were slim to none that he'd be able to outrun her. There was really no protection for Bella unless I stayed.

"Esme!" I yelled. She opened the door two seconds later and gasped when she saw Rosalie.

"CARLISLE!" she yelled.

"It's okay," Bella and I said in unison. Carlisle was already next to her. He was about to pin Rosalie down when I stopped him.

"It's okay. Seems like she's come around." I said.

I wasn't too sure about it, but I would definitely keep my eyes on her. Esme smiled broadly and looked like she would cry. She spread her arms out to Rosalie for a hug.

"Oh, Rose, I'm so glad you're trying to get past it." She smoothed down Rosalie's hair. Carlisle looked at the mess on the floor.

"I dropped it when I saw Rose in here." I explained.

Carlisle looked at Seth and smiled. "I'll get you some more right now," he said.

"Oh, you don't-" Seth began, but before he could even finish his sentence, Carlisle was back with another plate.

"Whoa." breathed Seth, amazed at our speed. He took the plate and began to eat. But our speed equaled the speed it took to satiate his hunger.

We all watched as he licked his plate clean. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"Oh, come on, I'll take you to the kitchen." I didn't want him to hurt himself, and Carlisle and Esme were in the room now.

"I can do it," he said, walking to the door slowly. He winced almost halfway.

"Seth, stop trying to be such a hero." I picked him up quickly. "By the time you make it to the kitchen, it'll be winter."

"Hey, I just feel a little sore. I'm still healing, but I could've made it to the kitchen myself," he said bashfully.

I went down to the kitchen, and everyone followed, Carlisle carrying Bella down carefully. They stayed in the living room while I took Seth to Esme in the kitchen.

As I entered the doorway to the room Bella was in, I found her standing with her hands on the small of her back.

I was struck by how weak and tired she looked. Her eyes were swollen and baggy, her cheekbones pointed out as her sunken cheeks clung tightly to her skin. She looked sick.

Her stomach stretched out before her, unbelievably big. The extra weight was taking a toll on her back; her thin frame was unaccustomed to it.

"You've grown two and a half more inches," Carlisle said, wrapping up the measuring tape. Rosalie looked at Bella's stomach and made a face.

"Ew, can you imagine? If I had been able to get pregnant, I'd be that fat."

I looked at Rosalie pointedly. She shook her head self-consciously and smiled up at Bella.

"Not that you're... Oh, just picture the baby! We can dress him up, buy him toys, take photographs of him, hang them all over the walls...I just can't wait," Rosalie said, looking around the living room.

I shook my head. Something didn't fit in.

Why was she so happy about this baby? Just days ago she'd wanted to rip Bella apart.

It was awkward and uncomfortable.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S A BOY!" Seth yelled from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes, wrapped my arm around Bella, and kissed the top of her forehead.

"I love you." I said to her quietly.

Rosalie's attention immediately turned back to us, but I didn't regret what I'd said.

Yeah, that's right, I said it. I love Bella, and I didn't care if Carlisle and Rosalie heard me say it.

Rosalie clapped sarcastically and gave a loud, "Awwww!"

She rushed over to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me to her, away from Bella.

"Of course you do! We _all_ love her! _Everyone_ loves her, don't we? She's our _sister_ now, after all!"

Like I said. Awkward.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Emmett, son, I need to speak with you."

I looked at Bella and held my hand out to her. She took it and squeezed it weakly.

"I'll be fine," she said. I nodded and followed Carlisle into the hallway.

"Son, you know that ours is a peaceful family and has been for many years." He looked at me, trying to make sure I understood. "I must be honest and say that we are not ready for a fight with the Quileutes. Not to mention about half of us are gone. Esme, you, and myself are really the only ones capable of fighting right now. Rosalie doesn't...seem well enough to fight."

"We're strong, Carlisle! We can fight them. They're mutts. "

"We are strong, but we've never fought against them. We don't exactly know what they're capable of, and they outnumber us now that Jasper, Alice, and Edward are gone. Our peaceful nature has made us inexperienced, or at least a little rusty." Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder. "We need help."

As strong as I knew I was, I also knew that a pack of wild werewolves might prove to be a challenge, and I couldn't guarantee taking them on myself. I knew Carlisle was right.

"So what do you want to do?" I asked.

"I've already contacted some old friends, called in a few favors. Two covens are on their way. I cannot be sure they will actually come here, so it would be wise to look at other options. I need to look for the covens that have no form of contact."

I realized what he was trying to say. "You're leaving."

"Two days. That's all we can spare."

"I can take care of them," I said, looking over to the living room.

"There's no doubt about that, son." We began walking back to the living room, and I shook my head and sighed.

"I really got us into a big mess, didn't I?"

Carlisle simply smirked. "Take care, Emmett."

* * *

**BELLA'S POV**

"Is there anything I can get for you?" Rosalie asked. I looked down as my stomach growled.

"Maybe a bite of whatever Seth is eating?" I asked hopefully. She nodded once and left to the kitchen.

As she left Emmett came in lost in thought.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

"Don't worry about it," he smiled. I grabbed his hand.

"I can tell something's wrong. What's the matter?" I repeated. He smiled softly and sat down next to me.

"Well, you already know the mutts aren't too happy about all this. They want a fight. Alice has seen it."

I gasped. How could Jacob act like this? He was my best friend. He had to understand that I wanted this baby more than anything.

"You mean like a one-on-one fight with you?" I asked. I pictured what that would look like, Jacob and Emmett fighting. Who would win?

Then I shuddered at the thought of it. There were two outcomes, neither of which were at all appealing.

"She saw some kind of battle, a war, she said. The thing is...Bells, we haven't fought like this in a long time. With the others gone, our chances may be slim, to say the least."

My eyes were burning. The Cullens were in danger because of me, and I wanted to cry.

"They - they want the baby...Emmett, is my baby going to...?"

"_Our _baby is going to be safe. And so are you, no matter what happens. I would sooner die than let anything happen to either of you." he said firmly.

"But what about your family? Esme? Rosalie? Carlisle?" I asked

He shook his head. "I don't know. Carlisle went to ask for help, but honestly we're not even sure if he'll make it back in time, or how many will return with him. Carlisle said to expect two covens, but who knows if they'll show, or how many members of the covens will journey here."

"Emmett, things should never have gotten this bad. I knew it would be hard, but this wasn't supposed to happen." I sobbed into his chest.

"None of us expected things to turn out this way, but they did and there's nothing we can do now. We love each other, Bella, and we have to trust that. You and the baby are my life now, and I wouldn't change that for anything."

His words were so comforting, and I felt exactly the same way. I nodded and looked down to my stomach.

"Are _you _okay?" He placed his hand on my cheek. I'd had a fever the past few days, and his icy hand gave me chills. He caressed the bags under my eyes with his thumb and brushed stray hairs away from my face. His touch was as comforting as his words.

"I feel so tired and weak, like my life is getting sucked out of me." I admitted.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, looking at my stomach.

"A little. I can feel when my stomach expands, and the skin feels so tender and sore because my body isn't used to how fast it's growing."

The door opened suddenly and Rosalie entered.

"Here you are." sang Rosalie loudly. She walked between Emmett and myself, separating us. Seth followed, a wide smile on his face.

"I see you're feeling better," I said to Seth as I took the plate Rosalie handed me.

"You bet! I guess I just needed some grub." he said.

"Some? You practically cleaned out the refrigerator,mutt." Rosalie said as she walked past him.

Seth rolled his eyes. "And you married that woman?"

"I HEARD THAT!" said Rosalie from the kitchen. Emmett tried to hide his laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Seth said, dismissing her. He walked over to me and kneeled.

"Wow, Bella, look at what you got yourself into." he said, looking at my stomach. I moved the plate away, and all three of us stared.

My stomach growled again. I closed my eyes and tried to anticipate the pain of its expansion again. It washed over me like a wave, the pain gathered at my stomach. I held my breath and sighed, waiting for the pain to subside.

"Again?" Emmett asked me. I nodded. I took a forkful of food into my mouth and greedily devoured it.

I felt like I hadn't eaten in ages.

Rosalie came back into the living room with a glass of water. I thanked her between mouthfuls, and she placed it on the table in front of me, reaching over Seth in the process. She snapped her teeth at him and stood over by Emmett.

"Seriously, dude? Her? I see why Bella's knocked up." Seth said, smirking.

Rosalie threw herself at Seth, but she was held back by Emmett.

I practically choked on my food and took a drink of water to clear my throat. I couldn't believe he had just said that.

He held her waist hard to keep her from moving. She was clawing at Seth, who moved back.

He looked at her, then at me, then back at her and burst out laughing.

"Be nice." Emmett said to Seth.

"Mutt!" Rosalie spat. Emmett secured his grip on her.

"Leech!" Seth mocked.

"Seth, enough." Emmett commanded. Rosalie struggled against him.

Seth held his sides and continued to laugh, his laughter slowly dying away.

"Ow." Something kicked my sore stomach. I looked down in confusion.

"Whats wrong?" they asked, crowding around me.

I was speechless for a moment.

"I think - I think the baby kicked," I said, a wide grin across my face.

* * *

**JACOB'S POV**

"Jacob."

I shook my head. "Just let me be, Sam."

"You cannot let her get to you like this. You know what needs to be done."

"I SAID, LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST GIVE ME A DAMN SECOND! ONE- GOD-DAMN- SECOND!" I yelled, punching a nearby tree. It shook and sent a loud echo through the woods.

The witch doctor's mate screamed and hid behind him in fear. I'd forgotten they were still here.

"Tell them to leave,_" _I said loudly.

"Alright. Look, thank you to you both, but it's time you go." Sam said to them.

I walked away deeper into the woods and phased. I could still hear Sam thanking the witch doctor and his mate for their time.

Minutes later, I knew that the rest of the pack had phased as well.

"_Jacob, you can take all the time you need, but you know this will have to happen sooner or later. That thing must be destroyed."_

Sam spoke his thoughts to me, and of course the entire pack was able to hear.

"_Will Seth be okay?"_ Leah asked.

The rest of the pack was silent; Sam and I were the only ones who could answer.

"_Your brother chose his path," _Sam answered vaguely.

"_But you and Jacob were the ones who made the decision to kick him out of the pack_," she thought angrily.

I growled. "_We'll know who's side he's on when the time comes, Leah!"_

"_Calm down, Jake, she's worried for her brother. You know what that's like; you worry for Bella. Just don't kill yourself over her," _said Quil.

I howled. _"I don't care about her!"_

But even they knew that wasn't true. My memories with her washed over me at the sound of her name.

_Showing her our old truck, telling her how I'd fixed it up, walking together on the beach, her asking about the Cullens (little did I know why she was so interested in them), seeing her at the junior prom, spending hours with her when the leech left, the kiss we first shared, Edward coming back and her leaving me…seeing her at the airport with the big leech, finding out she was pregnant..._

And then a thought struck me…what if the baby wasn't Edward's?

"_Of course it's not. That leech is too old-fashioned! Marry first, fun stuff later..."_

The pack had seen what I had seen.

"_Relax, Jake, you can't be sure of that. Everyone changes; maybe he finally gave in," _said Paul.

I closed my eyes as I recapped on what had happened hours ago.

The pack was able to see my thoughts.

_When she had reached the territory line, Bella had been carried away by the big leech, not Edward. Edward would have been there himself; he was like a flea on her. So where was he? Why had the big leech shown up instead?_

I knew the answer. The big leech had shown up because he had something to protect: his baby with Bella Swan. The pack stood quiet as they realized I was right.

I could feel anger boiling up. No, not anger; something much more passionate and dangerous. Rage, fury - it would overcome me, I could feel it rising.

I had given Bella up to Edward.

Who the hell did that leech think he was? Did he think I would just stand aside for him? Let him take the one person I loved away from me - again?

Bella had loved Edward blindly and wholeheartedly, as much as I hated to admit it. She had been happy, and I had figured there was nothing I could do. This, on the other hand, was just ridiculous, plain and simple. I refused to give her up to another bloodsucker. I refused to be de bunked.

I took a deep breath and let the waves of rage and fury wash over me. I let out a sonorous howl and clawed at the tree next to me, making a deep gash in the bark. I looked around at the pack.

"_Who's in the mood for some leech?" _I asked.

"_Don't be stupid, Jake! They know we're coming. We have to plan this out carefully." _Sam said.

"_We can do this! There are more of us!" _said Paul excitedly_._

"_But they will contact more of their kind. Like Sam said, they know we're coming," _reasoned Embry.

"_It's settled. We will prepare our line of attack. Then the bloodsuckers will know the strength of this pack." _said Sam.


	23. Fierce

******A/N**:** I would like to remind you as a reader once again, that this is in fact a FANFICTION story. I as a fan am writing the characters as I feel fit to my ideal characters. Their will be themes, and content that will not match that of the books/films. JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.**

* * *

**EDWARDS POV**

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Jasper asked me.

"I'm sure." I said simply.

Alice patted my back, "We will be back."

"Take your time." I responded.

"Edward?" Jasper asked.

I was sitting on the floor, my knees close to me, my arms weight on them.

"Yeah?" I said looking up to him.

"Don't leave without us okay?" I said

"Your faster then I am Jasp, it would be pointless to even try and run off." I said

Alice giggled, and they took off deeper into the woods for their hunt.

I closed my eyes. What was I going to do?

I couldn't live without her, but I also didn't want to lead my brother and sister to their demise. The Voultri wanted me, and not them. So I would probably be able to set some sort of deal with them, if needed.

This was my entire fault, I should have never left Bella. But how would I have known that Emmett would have been capable to do such a thing. I balled my hands, how could he be so selfish?

I looked up at the moon. It was a full moon. From a distance I could hear howling. I knew who they were coming from.

"_Edward."_

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"_What do you want?" _I sent my thoughts to the voice.

I recognized it, the sound of it, made me nose curl, the sound of it was as bad as his scent. Jacob Black.

"_Do you know about Bella?"_ he asked.

I sniffed the air, he was closer then he should be. Not past the territory line, but I knew he would cross it at a chance.

"_You're pushing your luck Black. You're just asking for it, stay back." _I warned

"_Answer my question" _he said.

I sighed. "_Of course I know." _

He stood quiet for so long, I swore he had finished he conversation with me.

"WHAT?" he asked angrily. He even growled. _"And your allowing this!"_

"_WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT?" _ I asked "_Her happiness is the only important thing!"_

"_Idiot."_ He growled.

* * *

**SETH'S POV**

"_Seth" _

I looked towards the window as I realized it was my sisters voice.

I automatically looked over at Emmett, I could see him looking at me from the corner of his eye.

He was standing before Rosalie and Bella, who were both talking about baby names.

I swallowed. How could Leah be stupid enough to come this close? I didn't know if I should go out or not.

Emmett gave me a nod, that I knew was only meant for me to see. He obviously knew she was out there, but what about the blonde leech?

Emmett turned to look at me, he noticed the worry in my eyes and I looked towards the window, and then at Rosalie.

He shook his head slightly, telling me not to worry.

I walked to the window, I could still hear Bella and Rosalie talking behind me. But it didn't take long before I closed them off, I closed my eyes, and put my hand on the screen of the open window.

The sky was dark it its night, It looked liked like a depressing Sunday.

"_What are you doing here?" _I asked Leah.

"_I left." _she said. "_You can't do this Seth, the leeches are not our kind." _

"_I know, but I can't leave Bella alone."_ I said

"_Why do you care so much?" _she asked.

I thought about it for a moment. "_We can not allow an innocent child to be harmed, its not its fault for what it will be."_

"_But its not the fault of those who it can hurt. Come brother, we can go back"_ She said

"_No." _I said.

"_Seth, please don't do this. Don't leave me, you're the only other person I care for." _She said.

I knew she was talking about Sam. She had never gotten over him.

"_Then stay." _I said.

"…." She didn't respond.

"_Leah?" _I asked

"_Okay. But only for you. I won't protect that thing… Seth…. do you smell that?" _She asked

I opened my eyes and inhaled. Bringing me back to the room.. I could smell the Cullen's, and then Bella. But as I inhaled in again, I smelled another scent.

It smelled repulsive, worse then the Cullen's did. I had to clench my mouth so hard, that I could feel the pressure of both my bottom and top teeth grinding into one another. I coughed as I tried holding back any form of disgust.

"Emmett?" I asked.

I could feel the skin on my back stiffening, as I realized that the leeches coming close, were different from the Cullen's.

Emmett and Rosalie sniffed the air.

Rosalie hissed. "Their not vegetarians."

Before I could even blink the older Cullen was in the room.

"Get your sister inside." Emmett said to me.

"His sister?" Esme asked

"Esme, Rose, watch Bella, one of them is heavily in thirst." Emmett said.

"_Leah get in." _I said.

"_No." _she said stubbornly

"What is it?" I asked Emmett.

"Its another coven. Get her in _now_." He said.

"What?" Bella asked.

"Their here to help us… hopefully they do after we tell them what's going on. But they don't know we are okay with them." He said referring to Seth and his sister.

"_Leah please!" _ I begged.

"_No." _she said. "_I will not be in the same room as them_."

I began to panic. So I jumped through the window, bringing the screen with me.

I was still sore, but right now that didn't even matter.

"Come back Seth!" said Emmett.

"LEAH!" I screamed for her.

My jeans began fitting tight around my legs, before tearing apart, as I phased.

As soon as I was able to, I let my claws rip into the dirt, as I pushed forward towards her.

"_Leah! Please." _ I said.

The air smelled strongly of the vampire's odor.

"SETH! WATCH OUT!" I heard Emmett say.

I turned to see a leech jumping towards me. I could see the red curled hair flowing around the beautiful leech.

This was it, I knew I wasn't going to have enough time to back this one out.

* * *

**EMMETTS POV**

I ran towards Seth, but then I saw her.

She was young, and very small, both in structure and shape.

"SETH! WATCH OUT!" I yelled to him.

He looked towards the young vampire and tried backing away.

I was close, but not close enough to stop her. And then I heard a growl, I watched as another wolf- Seth sister I assumed-lLeaped towards them and with her paw smacked the young vampire away. Another pair of hisses were joined by two more vampires.

One- another red haired woman, older then the one who was about to attack Seth, equally as beautiful, but heavy figured. The way she moved was quite mesmerizing to watch. The third vampire was a male about the same age as the heavy figured woman.

"NO!" I said standing in front of Leah and Seth.

The three vampires stopped in their tracks.

"Leah stop." I heard Seth say to his sister, he had phased back into his human form.

The young red haired vampire stood up from the ground and hissed at us.

"You dare defend them?" she asked.

I picked up an accent in their voice.

An accent I knew all too well, Irish.

They were part of the Irish coven.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the male.

I held my hand out to him.

"I am Emmett Cullen, son of Carlisle Cullen, these are my friends. Seth and his older sister Leah." I said.

I heard Leah spit at the ground when I included her as a friend.

I ignored it and continued. "They mean no harm, you can trust them. The female was only protecting her sibling… naturally."

I noticed both the male and heavier female look at the young red head.

She nodded. "He's telling the truth." She glared at Seth and Leah, who still was in her wolf form.

Right away I knew her power must be detecting lies, her eyes were bright red.

"Why are they here? What is the meaning of this?" asked the heavier woman.

"I will explain that all inside. How much did Carlisle tell you?" I asked

"He did not say much, just that he needed our help." Said the male vampire.

I nodded. "This is true."

The young vampire snapped her teeth at Leah, who was glaring at her.

"Maggie behave." Said that male.

"Please excuse her, she's not as civilized as we are." Said the heavy woman, her eyes were red as well. "Allow me to introduce ourselves, I am Siobhan, he is Liam, my husband. And that fierce little one is Maggie."

"Welcome." I said.

I held my hand out to Liam, he took it and shook it. Then Siobhan, whom took it as well, her grasp was more firm then her husbands.

I walked over to Maggie, who was still glaring at Leah and Seth. I turned to look at Seth and Leah, and was a bit taken back when I saw Seth naked. I had forgot they were naked when they were wolfs.

"Emmett, my sister wants to phase." He said.

I didn't say anything. Instead I waited for him to continue, but seeing as he didn't say anything else, I guessed he was done.

"And?" I asked

Seth laughed, "Well I have no problem being naked, but Leah is a woman."

I looked down at Leah whose head was down, she seemed to be embarrassed.

"Oh.. OH!" I said taking my shirt off, I threw it at Seth for his sister.

She sniffed the shirt and made and whined.

Seth rolled his eyes. "Come on." He said walking her to the woods.

I stood there for a moment, forgetting about the others. I couldn't get the fact over my head, at how comfortable they were with each other. They were siblings, and didn't mind seeing each other naked. Even the others and me weren't like that, not even after years.

I finally tuned out from them and turned to the young red head. Just like every other female I know, she was shorter then me. I held my hand out for her to shake.

She smiled as she took my hand and shook it. "My my, aren't you handsome."

I felt her hand come to my chest.

"Maggie!" Liam warned her.

"What?" she said

* * *

BELLAS POV

"Are they okay?" I asked Esme in a panic.

I tried getting up, but she immediately laid me back down.

"Their fine." She said.

Why wasn't Carlisle out their helping them?

"Where's Carlisle?" I asked Esme.

I hadn't seen him for some time now.

"He's out doing some things dear." Esme said.

I could sense the worry in her voice.

"Its because of Jake?" I asked her sure of her answer already.**  
**"Not everyone was bound to be accepting." She said.

She turned towards the door. "Coming." She said.

I knew Emmett had called for her, in their unhumanily heard tone.

"Is he okay?" I asked alarmed.

"Yes dear, he's fine. Stay still okay?" she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Stay Esme, I will go." Rosalie said.

Esme nodded and sat at my side, protectively.

"Don't say a single word." Esme said.

My heart beat faster as I remembered what happened last time, I had been around non-vegetarians.

I heard a hiss from outside.

"What's going on?" I asked Esme.

Esme stood up and went to the window.

She seemed to be following someone gaze.

"Wow, that blonde one is something else." Said Seth walking in, followed by his sister.

Who seemed to be very upset at the idea of coming inside. Her hair looked a mess, it was tangled and wild looking. She had dirt all over her face and arms, it looked like she hadn't showered in days. And she was wearing an oversized shirt… Emmett's. It had to be, it looked huge on her, more like a dress, reaching just above her knees.

"Oh my…" Said Esme, looking out the window.

"What happened?" I asked.

"One of the new leeches seems to fancy the big one. The blonde on isn't to happy at that." Said Leah.

"_What?"_ I asked. Trying to sit up.

"Oh no, now we have another jealous one." Leah said.

She walked over to where I was at, and sat down. I got up and slowly walked to the window, my hand at my smaller back. My stomach had grown more, at this point, had anyone seen me, they would have sworn I was at least 6 months into my pregnancy.

I stood right next to Esme and saw what she was looking at:

Emmett had his hand covering his face, shaking it as if embarrassed, or disapproving something.

Why was he shirtless? Then I confirmed my question earlier, Leah was wearing his shirt.

Two other vampires, a heavy woman, and a male were looking all around, at the same pace.

"What's going on?" I asked Esme.

"Rosalie is chasing after one of them." Esme said.

I couldn't see anything, but I was able to feel the breeze as they ran past us.

Then I was finally able to see them, as they stopped. The girl who liked Emmett. _My Emmett…_ okay well Rosalie's Emmett. I felt crushed as I saw her beauty.

She was sniffing the air.

I didn't think it would be possible, but she was more striking to see then Rosalie.

Emmett was grabbing Rosalie by the shoulders. I only had enough time to feel Esme pull me back, making me fall to the ground. I screamed in the surprise, a massive bolt of pain go through my stomach, as I knew the sudden fall had shook up the baby. I could feel the baby kicking my stomach, I swear it felt like their was a brawl going on inside me, making me scream loud in pain.

I looked up to see the beautiful vampire trying to break in through the window of the house.

She looked frightening and savage. I half expected to see her mouth foam.

Esme tried stopping her, but the young vampire slapped her across the face, sending her across the room.

She hissed at me, I was struck in horror, to see how her once beautiful face, seemed twisted and scary. Her eyes were a flaming red, her face showed great hunger. The baby continued to kick, the pain on my already sore body, and the fear of what I was seeing, started making the room spin.

I felt my eyes roll back, as I blacked out.


	24. Good as dead

**EMMETT'S POV**

"MAGGIE!" Rose and I yelled.

I turned to look at Liam and Siobhan. Liam was holding Siobhan by the shoulder, and she had her eyes closed with her hands down at her sides.

Her power must allow her to alternate what could happen, but they didn't know a pregnant human was inside the house.

"EMMETT!" Rosalie said, shoving me hard towards the house. "The baby!"

_Of course. The baby…not Bella_, I thought to myself.

"Baby?" I heard the confusion in both Liam and Siobhan's voices.

I ran towards the house as fast as I could. Just before Maggie could jump in through the window, I grabbed her from behind and knocked her down.

We both fell into the house, me on top of her, but even then I was finding it difficult to keep her down. She must be a newborn or close to it. She clawed towards Bella.

I stood up and grabbed Maggie by the ankles.

"STOP IT!" I demanded.

Maggie acted like she hadn't heard me. Leah, now in her human form, was holding Bella. She wore an expression of disgust on her face as she looked at Maggie. Esme was holding on to Bella's hand, and they were moving her back to the bed. What was happening? Had Maggie hurt her?

One of Bella's hands was wrapped around her stomach, and the other gripped Esme's hand so tightly that her knuckles were white. Her body was tense, her face red and beginning to perspire.

Seth, who had phased, was focused on Maggie. His gaze never left her, and I could see his sharp canine teeth as he growled.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" I asked.

"We don't know!" said Esme desperately.

"My baby! My baby!" Bella yelled, her face twisted in pain. She screamed and continued to hold on to her stomach.

"Maggie, I need to get you out of here," I said.

"Only after I drink every last drop of blood in her body, and the baby's," she said, struggling against me and licking her lips hungrily.

"MAGGIE, I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU," I warned.

"She smells so appetizing." Maggie closed her eyes and sniffed the air again. "And the infant she carries is like the topping on the cake. Together their smells are irresistible, and I won't leave until I taste them both."

She tried pushing me off again.

"Maggie!" Liam came in through the doors followed by Siobhan and Rosalie.

Both Liam and Siobhan shifted their gaze from us to the big wolf in the room, then looked at the three women by the bed.

"What is going on?" Siobhan asked.

"Get her out of here, please. I'll explain everything," I said. Siobhan signaled for her husband to take Maggie away.

As I stood up to give Liam space to grab Maggie, she pulled away and darted towards Bella. But before she could get far, Liam grabbed her and took her out the house. She screamed for the "_human_" all the way outside.

I kneeled next to Bella and rested my hand on her swollen abdomen. I could feel strong movements coming from inside.

"Is this what Carlisle invited us here to see? What is going on?" Siobhan demanded.

"Esme," I said, "could you take our new friend to another room and explain everything to her?"

Esme nodded, but I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. I knew we were thinking the same thing: we needed all the help we could get, but would we be able to convince the Irish coven?

Leah suddenly clapped her hand to her mouth.

"I really can't take the smell anymore! I'm sorry, Seth, but they smell worse then the Cullens!" She ran out through the door.

Seth's eyes followed his sister, then switched back to Bella. He gave a small whine.

"We'll protect her. Go after Leah," I said to him, and he immediately sprinted away.

"AH!" screamed Bella. I turned just to see her eyes roll back and close.

She had fainted.

Her heart still beat steadily, and I could hear another,fainter rhythm beating way too fast. Bella had fainted from the intensity of the pain, but I knew she would recover. I was worried about my baby, especially considering its heart rate. For the first time since he'd left, I wished with all my being that Carlisle was here.

"Bella," I said gently. I shook her softly and blew on her face. Maybe if I touched her with my cold skin she would wake up.

I raised her shirt to expose her stomach and was startled when I saw Bella's stomach moving. I watched closer and realized that I could actually see where the baby was punching or kicking. I lowered my hand onto Bella's exposed skin, but there was no effect.

"The baby isn't calming down," I said, alarmed.

"Try talking to it," suggested Rosalie. She'd been standing still, and I'd forgotten she was here after all the chaos of the last few minutes. I looked up at her for a moment. Then…_it just might work, _I thought.

I put my head to Bella's torso and kissed the bruises, which had become all too visible. I was quiet for a second as I thought of what to say, but the baby was still kicking.

"Hi, baby," I said awkwardly. The baby continued to hit Bella. "Can you hear me?"

Rosalie shifted her weight to her other foot, more out of human habit than necessity.

"We know you're scared right now, baby, but I want you to know I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You know why? Because I love you. And your mommy loves you, too. You might not mean to, but you're hurting Mommy; she's not as strong as you seem to be, okay? Can you be more gentle with her? She's hurting badly, and we just need you to wait a little longer." I massaged Bella's stomach all the while, making sure to be more careful where the bruises were darker.

The thumping inside Bella's stomach began to slow.  
I looked up to Rosalie and smiled.

"It heard me," I said. "Great idea, Rose."

Rosalie smiled faintly and looked away, but I could tell she was upset.

"Thank you, baby," I murmured to Bella's stomach, kissing it again. I brought Bella's shirt back down and covered her with the blanket. I walked to the open doors that led outside and made sure to lock them.

**EMMETT'S POV CONTINUED**

"Please let me explain," I said, walking after Siobhan.  
She shook her head, her hair swaying side to side.

"No. No, I will not hear anymore of these…these lies," she said, rushing to the door.

"I assure you, Siobhan, none of this is a lie," Esme said.

Siobhan was almost out of the door. I knew this was our last chance to persuade the Irish coven, so I ran ahead of her and slammed the door shut just as she turned the knob.

"Tell Carlisle we will not be taken for fools!" Siobhan said coldly.

"Please, let me explain," I begged.

"This is what we traveled so far for? This nonsense?"

"Yes, you have, and if you would just give me a chance to explain you would see that we are not wasting your time."

She looked at Esme, Rosalie, and then me in astonishment.

"You expect me to believe that the human is pregnant with your child? Of course you're lying. It is just not physically possible."

Rosalie's teeth were grinding together at the mention of the last part.

"I know, Siobhan, I know. It's hard to believe; we almost didn't believe it ourselves. But it's true," Esme insisted.

"I could crush her with the touch of a finger. You slept with her! You want me to believe you had intercourse with a human, and she lived?" she said incredulously.

Rosalie's teeth-grinding became louder. Siobhan must have noticed as well because she gave Rosalie an annoyed look.

"Well…yes." I crossed my arms, ignoring Rosalie and redirecting Siobhan's attention back to me.

"Rubbish!" she exclaimed "You are lucky that I do not report you to the Volturi!"

"Siobhan, please! We need your help," I said.

"Help with what, exactly?" she asked, mimicking my folded arms. But before I could answer, Rosalie spoke.

"Alright, let me sum it up for you. The human, Bella, was initially our brother Edward's girlfriend. Emmett, who happens to be my husband, by the way, decided to sleep with Bella, the human. Edward left, and our other siblings, Jasper and Alice, also married, followed him. Bella has a wolf friend who is in love with her and fought for her against Edward, but Bella chose Edward in the end. Well, Jacob found out that Emmett, that's right, my husband, knocked up the human, so now he's pretty much gathering his entire pack to kill us. Basically, we're outnumbered. Am I forgetting somthing? I think that pretty much fucking sums it all up, now doesn't it, sweetie?" Rosalie finished, smiling at me sarcastically.

I slapped my forehead and shook my head. She had just ruined everything, even if she'd said the truth.

"What? Brothers and sisters married? A pregnant human, wolf friends? Your vegetarian ways are already abnormal, but all of this is just…" Siobhan shook her head. "I will not, cannot, bring my family into this mess."

"Ummm, hello. Your so called 'family' just tried to kill the human carrying an innocent unborn baby like two seconds ago. That's not a mess?" Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. Siobhan shot her a look.

"We're not actually related," I said to Siobhan, chuckling nervously. It was a last feeble attempt to save our chances. It wasn't much, but I didn't know what else to say.

Siobhan shook her head and waved her hand. "No. It isn't our problem. Please give Carlisle our apologies that we cannot pay back his favor at this time. Good-bye!"

She walked around me and slammed the door. I turned to glare at Rosalie.

"Oh, Rose," sighed Esme.

"ROSE! WHAT THE HELL!" I yelled.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "What? I told the truth. I told her what YOU did. Had you NOT done those things, we wouldn't have a problem," she said, flashing me a smug smile.

She twirled around and gave one of the most spoiled giggles I'd ever heard.

"I hope you know we're all dead now."

She tip-toed to me like a ballerina and swayed her hands side to side.

"Oh, what's wrong? Is little Emmett scared of the big… bad…WOLF?" She snapped her teeth together and bit the air.

My hand was itching to slap Rosalie across the room, and it took a lot of self-control to keep myself from doing just that. It was something I never thought I'd want to do no matter how badly we fought.

"Rosalie…they are going to kill Bella and the baby." There had to be a way to make her understand.

"Oh no, don't worry. Nothing will happen to the baby. Cross my heart, hope to die." She broke into mad laughter. "Oh, right, I'm already dead!"

"Rose!" Esme scolded.

"Oh, all right. You know what I mean, though," Rosalie said, this time more serious.

She'd said the baby would remain unharmed and said nothing about Bella. Considering Bella was the one carrying the baby, I figured Rosalie would have to protect her as well…even if it was just for the baby.

I frowned as I looked at Rosalie and thought about what Seth had said earlier. Seriously, how the hell had I put up with her for so long?

She and Esme left the room, and I looked around. Well, that was that. The only thing left to do was wait for Carlisle.

Edward's room was still a mess from our fight. We couldn't have Bella sleeping in this mess. I began the task of making it more comfortable, my thoughts racing with strategies we could use to defend ourselves on our own.

I finished quickly and went downstairs to talk to Esme and Rosalie, who might also have ideas.

I was halfway down the stairs when I heard Bella calling my name.

**BELLA'S POV**

I awoke and found myself back on the bed in Edward's room.

I looked around and found myself alone. Someone had come in to clean up, and now the only sign that there'd ever been a fight was the absence of Edward's CD collection.

Where was everyone?

"Emmett?"

I tried to sit up, but it seemed much harder and uncomfortable than before. I looked down and saw a much rounder, fuller stomach spotted with bruises.

Pain still burned my stomach, like I'd just done a ton of crunches. I was startled when the door suddenly opened.

"Hey there," said Emmett. His voice alone was comforting. "How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" I asked.

"You don't remember?" Emmett sat down on the bed next to me.

"Well, I do remember the vampire climbing in through the window and leaping towards me," I said, massaging my stomach. "I fell back and my stomach felt like it erupted. I guess it upset the baby. The pain…it was…well, is the baby okay?"

I didn't want him to be more worried than he already was. Emmett nodded. I sighed in relief and lifted up my shirt. I touched the bruises that covered my stomach.

"Pretty soon, my whole belly will be one, huge, purple mass. The baby really seems to like beating me up," I joked.

"Don't worry, we had a little conversation." I looked at him in confusion, and he just smiled. "Are you hungry?"

"No." I thought about it for a second. "But I really have to pee."

He chuckled, stood up, and cradled me in his arms. As he carried me to the bathroom, he breathed into my ear.

"I'm so relieved that you're awake. I was so scared, Bella. I thought I might lose you two." He kissed my cheek.

I wasn't sure if he meant "two," as in the baby and myself, or "too" as in myself and Hannah.

"But I wouldn't have really died, Emmett. You would have saved me," I said to him.

We had already reached the bathroom, but he didn't set me down. I looked over at the mirror in front of us and admired Emmett. He was truly an extraordinary thing to look at. He was perfect in every single way.

And then there was me. I looked so tiny in his arms,my stomach protruding from my small frame unnaturally. I looked sick, weak, and exhausted in contrast to Emmett.

"Bella, please…please never change."

I knew he was talking about converting. It unnerved me how much he was like Edward. Sure, they were brothers, but I thought Emmett would be happy to have me by his side as an equal.

"You know the time will come sooner or later. Emmett, for all we know, I might not even survive the birth."

These were thoughts that had been crossing my mind lately. I already knew the baby wasn't normal; it was strong, like him, and growing rapidly. I was still human.

"Bella, please don't say that," he said softly, nestling his face into my neck. "I can't go through it again."

He was talking about Hannah this time for sure. He still hadn't put me down.

"Em."

He shook his head. "No."

"No, Em, I really…I really have to pee."

"Oh." He smiled faintly and put me down softly,closing the door behind himself only after he made sure I was safely seated on the toilet.

I finished quickly and opened the door to find Emmett sitting on the floor, his knees drawn in close to his chest. He looked up at me and smiled sadly.

"Better?"

I nodded. "Much, much better. And I think the baby feels better too."

I stared down at him as he looked at his hands, which, for some reason, made me remember the coven.

"What happened to the other vampires? Are they still here?" I asked.

Emmett closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment.

"None of it went as planned."

"They left?" I asked.

"They left so fast even we couldn't see them. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they'd left the state already," he said miserably.

"Who were they?" I asked.

"Carlisle's friends. One of the Irish covens. He sent them here to help us."

"Help? Help us what?" I asked, frowning.

"Bells…I think you should sit down for this." He stood up, took me into his arms again, and brought me back to Edward's room. He set me down gently on the bed and tucked me in before sitting next to me.

"We need help for…what's to come."

"You mean delivering the baby?" I asked.

"No…Bella, I won't let anything happen to you or the baby, NOTHING."

"I know," I said, grabbing his hand.

"And that's why I'm…we're willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you two are safe."

"Okay...?"

"Even if it means we have to die or kill those mutts from La Push."

I pulled my hand away from him.

"…What?"

"Bells, they're coming. And they want our baby."

**JACOB'S POV**

"EDWARD! ANSWER ME, YOU THICKHEADED BLOODSUCKER!" I yelled, kicking a rock in front of me.

I paced back and forth along the territory line. It was so tempting to cross alone, to go see Bella and try to persuade her myself. But I knew I couldn't be that stupid.

I'd had a short conversation with Edward, but he had stopped responding.

"Fine. If you don't kill him, I will. And then…then I'm coming for you."

I stretched my hands to the floor and phased before my paws hit the ground. I howled loudly.

I could feel the connection between the pack as they too phased. It didn't take long for them to appear at my side.

"_It's time,"_ I announced.

"_Finally,"_said Jared.

"_What about Leah and Seth?" _Paul asked.

"_They've made their choices. We will soon know whether or not they have chosen correctly!" _I barked at them.

"_Jake, maybe you should stay," _Sam said to me.

"_Yeah, right,_" I scoffed. "_You're insane if you think I'm going to miss this_."

"_Jake, you cannot stop whatever happens…do you understand?" _Sam said. It wasn't a question, more like a command. I gave a low growl.

"_A line will be crossed. Whatever needs to be done to destroy that thing will be done. Even if it means destroying Bella. You won't be able to take it back," _Sam said.

"_You can't hurt Bella. You love her." _came a voice from outside the pack.

Edward. I knew the others didn't hear him, and it surprised me that he was still able to communicate with me as a wolf.

"_It's different now. What needs to be done needs to be done." _I said, not caring if my thoughts had gone to Edward or the pack.


	25. Time to hide

**BELLAS POV**

"What?" I asked, I could feel my hand coming to my forehead involuntarily… "Wait…_what!?"_ I shook my head as if I was trying to clear it out.

"Bella." Emmett said grabbing my free hand into his. But I pulled it away, instead bringing both my hands to cover my mouth in my instant shock.

"No… no.. no!" I said almost laughing in disbelief. "That can't be true, he would never hurt me." I said to Emmett, talking about Jacob.

"Like I told you before, don't be too sure you can trust him. He's different Bella. He's something else, he's not like me or the rest, and maybe not even like the baby. And they all know that, he was made to kill my kind Bella."

"But we don't know what the baby will come out to be! For all we know the baby won't even be close to a vampire." I insisted.

"Bella, look at your stomach, no regular baby could have so much strength to do that." He said.

"But he wouldn't touch me, and he wouldn't hurt my baby, because in hurting the baby, he'd be hurting me." I said trying to ignore the fact that he _had_ tried to kill my baby back in the woods. "Its part of their packs belief- not to harm humans."

"Don't be too sure of that Bella, It's different now… they haven't dealt with anything like this before, and if they need to take heavy measures, then they will." Emmett said

"No no no." I said shaking my head. This couldn't be happening. Because even I would be lying, if I said I didn't care about Jacob. I loved him as an older sister would love their younger sibling. He was that little brother I couldn't have, even if his feelings were deeper towards me, then mine.

"Bella look, I know you care about Jacob Black, but right now, your main concern should be the baby." He said.

I looked at him, "I do care about the baby…" _Was he trying to say I didn't?_

He sighed almost as if he had read my mind. "I didn't say you didn't Bells. It's just… what needs to be done, needs to be done. We are outnumbered by them. I'm the only present male right now, and you sure as hell know I don't want Esme or Rosalie to fight."

I started to tear up, how did this all go so bad? It's not like we were the first people ever to have an affair.

But then again, who was I kidding? We weren't exactly just regular people, in regular relationships to begin with.

"Let me talk to him." I said "Yeah maybe I can stop this." I said nodding more to myself.

Emmett shook his head, "Bells you know that won't work.

"We won't know unless I try!" I said trying to get up. But the weight of my stomach was making it hard for me, to even sit up straight.

"Bella please stop being so stubborn, the mutts have made up their mind about this situation." He said trying to get me to lay back down.

But I pushed his hand away, well sort of, because it felt like I was trying to move a heavy building.

"But I can't let you three fight alone!" I shouted at him.

We turned when we heard a knock at my door.

"Bella?" I heard Seth from the other side of the door.

"Come in." I said weakly. An exaggerated difference in tone, to what it had just been.

This time I finally was able to sit up. I scooted back, so my back was able to touch the head rest.

Seth opened the door and came in followed by his sister.

They both looked a mess, had I not known them, and just seen them walking around for the first time. I'd think they were homeless, or perhaps even a bit insane.

Leah's hair was an even messier mass, if that could have even been possible. Her face had dirt stains. Emmett's over sized shirt on her, had some holes, from what I imagine were from her running in the woods. Her bare feet were covered in dirt.

Seth was in about the same shape as her, with the exception that his hair was short. So instead of looking as bad as Leah, it just looked like he had come back from a wild day of playing with his buddies outside.

Another thing they both had in common, was they looked unbelievably tired, the dark bags under their eyes, made it seem as if they hadn't slept for days. But the main thing that stood out to me, were their eyes… they seemed so empty. Seth whose face was normally a sight of happiness, now looked as if he had just lost someone.

"Is everything okay?" Leah asked.

--

--

**EMMETTS POV**

I looked down, away from Seth and his sister, and grabbed Bella's hand.

They were both in a terrible state. I shook my head as I knew what was happening to them.

"I think… its time for you two to go." I said to them.

Bella looked at me surprised.

"What?" Seth asked, I could hear him take a step forward, but stopped himself.

"Their coming." I said them, finally turning to them.

"Sam is coming?" Leah asked her brother.

Seth continued to look at me, nodding he swallowed.

"What's going to happen now?" Leah asked her brother.

"I can't let anything happen to the baby." Seth said looking at me.

"And I can't allow you to continue to be broken away from your pack. Don't think I don't know what happens to those, who do that for a long time. Look at you two, it's already getting to you, and it hasn't even been a week." I said.

Seth looked at Bella then at his sister. His sister turned away from us.

"What happening?" Bella asked.

I looked at Seth, waiting for him to answer, but when I saw he wouldn't, I decided to answer Bella. Who has re-asked once more, what happens to his kind, when they part from their pack's.

"They become lost, it's like they wander off into a complete forsakenness. They begin to lose all connection to their roots if you would like to say. And they no longer can really control their shift." I said.

"So they can no longer turn into wolfs?" Bella asked looking at Seth and Leah.

"No, it means they can't turn back to human. They become stuck in one form, forgetting how to shift again, and unlike now, they age. They no longer control when they want to age. With no pack, and the unacceptness from other territorial wolf packs, they slowly die an isolated lonely death. That's why when they imprint, it's important, because if anything were to happen to the pack. They are not alone at least, because they have the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with." I said finishing.

I didn't know if Seth or his sister had ever imprinted, but my guess was no, since they were here, and not with their loved one.

Seth, who was hugging his sister to his chest, didn't look at us the whole time I was talking.

"We were having a hard time shifting back after we both shifted. It took so much out of us." Seth said kissing the top of his sister's head, who just like Seth, was tall, but not like him.

"Does it hurt?" Bella asked him.

"Not physically, no." Seth said.

His sister pulled away from him and turned to face us again.

"When we tried shifting back, it felt like we were stuck in between both worlds. We were able to hear other wolfs, not shifters, but the actual packs from miles away. But it's like everything became black and white. Like we were lost." Leah said shuddering.

"How did you shift back?" I asked them curious

Both Leah and Seth look at each other uncomfortably.

"Well I… I shifted back because I couldn't let myself become lost from… sam." She said.

"From who?" asked Bella, because Leah had said the last part in a very low voice.

Although Leah was not as light as Bella, I could clearly see the rise of her blood to her face. She sighed before answering. "Sam. I rather live away knowing he is real, then him become a lost memory."

_Sam? Sam… that must be the big one in command, their alpha. _I thought to myself.

I nodded to her in understandment. No one had to even tell me, she obviously held feelings for him, that he did not share back with her.

"And you?" I asked Seth.

He shrugged. "I really don't know, all I knew was, I couldn't let Bella and the baby get hurt. It's not fair, I am who I am to keep safety from the cold ones." He said looking away from me. " Except now, I have to keep safety against my own brothers."

I had grown a great level of respect for him. I guess not _all_ the mutts were _too_ bad.

--

--

**EDWARDS POV**

I paced back and forward as I took in everything Jacob Black was thinking to me.

"_Are you seriously okay with this?" _he asked me

I stopped pacing, as I looked up at a full moon. I rested my forearm on a tree trunk, and rested my forehead on to it.

"_As much as it hurts. Yes." _I said in a very emotionless voice.

"_WHY!?"_ he demanded to me.

"… _because she's happy… because I love her so much, that I'm happy as long as she's happy, even if it means by someone else's side." _I said_. _I swore I could feel my un beating heart, want to break.

"_But she's pregnant with one of your kind."_ He said.

"_You don't say."_ I said closing my eyes. Pain shooting at me, at the fact of knowing that my Bella, and my brother had slept together.

"_I had to give her up for one blood sucker, in hopes that when she was done with you or vise versa, I'd be there. Because I wasn't ever planning on losing hope, no matter how long I had to wait. And all of a sudden that asshole comes in and "sweeps" her off her feet. And tosses me back another spot!? So how the hell is it that if you claim to love her so much, your okay with your brother fucking her, and stealing her away from you?" _His thoughts were so loud it felt like he was screaming right in my ear next to me.

I swallowed as I turned my back to the tree trunk, I let myself fall into a sitting position to the ground. I balled my hands and let them keep pounding on to my knees.

"She's happy… she's happy… she's happy." I said to myself.

"_How does it feel to know that she loves someone else? HUH?"_ Jacob said.

I knew he was trying to compare my feelings, to what he felt, when she choose me, instead of him.

"_To know, you gave her yourself completely to her, for her to just toss it all back to you." _He said angrily.

I closed my eyes and bit on my lip.

"_To know that she gives someone else those looks you once got, to know someone else kisses her, and tell her the words you feel about her?" _He growled into my head.

I ran my fingers through my hair, and took a firm hold of it, yanking at it a bit. I let out a sob.

"EDWARD! ANSWER ME YOU THICKHEADED-" I could hear say no longer in his thoughts, but out loud.

I couldn't answer him, I didn't know what to say, without letting him know how I truly felt right now.

"Fine if you don't kill him, then I will. And then…. Then I'm coming for you." He said out loud once again.

"Shit… SHIT!" I said out loud, as I got up and went on a run towards the territory line.

They were actually planning on attacking, I didn't even begin to think that this would happen.

As I came to the clearing, I could clearly see the big wolf pack as they stood before the invisible territory line.

I could hear him growl loudly. I wasn't sure if it was at me, or at the other wolfs.

Because when he did, he directed his attention at two of the big wolfs next to him.

Yeah, it was towards them, because I was sure he didn't even know I was near.

I wasn't sure if Jacob would be able to hear me, but I had to try, I had to try and stop them now, before it was to late. Before I would leave to Italy.

"_You can't hurt Bella. You love her." _I said desperately.

"_It's different now, what needs to be done, needs to be done."_ I heard him say.

"_Jacob, she's still Bella, she's still the same girl you fell in love with, your best friend!" _I said to him.

But I knew he wouldn't listen anymore.

Jacob howled loudly, and took a step past the territory line.

--

--

**BELLAS POV**

"Em, I'm scared." I said to him as he massaged my arm.

He was laying next to me on the bed.

Laying on the floor was Leah sleeping on her back. Her head was resting on Seth's lap, as he slept with his back against the wall, next to the door. Both had their mouths wide open, drool coming out the sides of their mouths.

"I know you are. I am too." He said kissing me.

"It's so sad, what could happen to them." I said looking at Seth and Leah again.

I could feel Emmett's head turn to them, as he continued to rest his head on the top of mine.

"You know their doing so much for you right now right?" he asked me.

"I know. I know why Leah is, because she felt she had to follow her brother. But why is Seth going against Jake and the rest? Their his family." I said to him.

I could hear Emmett swallow. "He loves you a lot."

When he said that, I was wondering if he meant love, as in a deeper meaning.

"Like…" I began.

"No. Not in that way." He said.

I laughed a little feeling stupid. Making Emmett to smile.

He raised my shirt up, and rested his hand on my stomach, the coldness from it, felt so soothing on my bruised belly.

He scooted down and kissed my stomach.

He started running his fingers up and down my stomach, "Hi baby." He said to my stomach.

"Have you thought of what you would like to name the baby?" I asked him.

"No." he said. "I honestly haven't thought that far ahead, if you haven't noticed, I never do. I just go with what I want or feel at the time."

I understood exactly what he was talking about, cause I was the same. I didn't think or care about consequences, I just went with that I felt, just cared about the current outcome.

Had we both thought about the consequences, I'm sure we would have thought twice about what we did. But it didn't matter anymore, not at this point.

We both laid in a comfortable silence, I could see his head rising and falling with my stomach, as I breathed.

But we were both startled when both Leah and Seth jumped up from their slumber.

Before I could even blink, Emmett was already off the bed and on his feet.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Emmett nodded to them as if he knew what was going on. "Go." He said to them.

Seth looked at me and smacked his chest, where his heart is. "Till thee end Bella." He said before he and Leah bolted out the door.

Esme and Rosalie were in the room before I could even catch my breath.

"Oh Emmett." Esme said sobbing into Emmett chest.

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" I asked angrily now, it was upsetting me that everyone knew but me. I screamed as the lights of the house went out, we were left in pitch black.

I began breathing heavily as I panicked, I was afraid of the dark.

"EMMETT! EMMETT!" I began screaming.

"Ssh shh I'm right here." He said hugging me.

I started crying as I suspected what was going on, but even then I still had to get it confirmed, to believe it. "What's happening?"

But he ignored my question, instead he picked me up.

"Esme take Bella, and hide her. Rose outside." He said handing me over to who I figured was Esme.

Unlike Emmett, her thin arms seemed to fragile, but I new different.

I could hear something ripping, like cloth. And then a cold breeze, as I knew Rosalie has just ran past me to go outside.

"Emmett!" I screamed. I started crying more as I realized it was time.

"Bella.. Bella listen to me-" Emmett began grabbing my face lightly. His sweet breath slightly calming me down. "Listen to me… no matter what happens, don't leave your hiding spot. Do you understand?"

I shook my head, unsure he could see it. I could feel tears running down my cheeks.

"Emmett, no, no please this doesn't have to happen." I said

"Bella, I love you." He said kissing my forehead. And then he was gone, I could feel the same cold breeze Rosalie had left.

"EMMETT!" I screamed, and I didn't stop. I just continued to scream his name over and over as Esme carried me along with her.

--

--

Guess what!? I passed! I'm officially a certified Chef. 2 yrs, and I finally got my AAS degree.


	26. Reappearance

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE CONGRAT'S! **

**It was a nervous wreck time, but I'm finally done :D**

**--**

**--**

**EMMETTS POV**

I tightened my jaw, letting my teeth grind against one another, my teeth were beginning to hurt in the stress I was causing them.

My attempt of ignoring Bellas screams, was really weak to none.

I was so tempted to go back to her, to tell her everything would be okay.

But I would just be lying to her. The mutts had even gone as far as turning our electricity off.

Smart of them, because unlike them, we had to rely more on our sense of smell, then sight in the dark. Not that I was saying we were blind to the darkness, we just couldn't see as well as they did.

All I could really do now, is fight for her, for her and our baby.

Before, I would have looked forward to this fight, to be able to kill one of the mutts.

But now, I was not only scared for the baby, for Bella, for Esme, for Rosalie, but… even for me.

I'm not trying to say I was being a coward to fight, but I was scared of being ripped away from the woman and child, I have grown to deeply love.

I felt like I could cry, but I couldn't. Not because I couldn't shed tears, but because I couldn't allow the mutts to see this side of weakness.

Once I stepped out the house I was consumed by the darkness of the night, the dead silence was only interrupted by the screams of Bella.

An eerie and dangerous cold was blowing in the air.

I shuddered, not that I felt the chill, but at what was to come.

I was actually able to feel the hair on my body stand as far it could go.

Mixing in with a new feeling, a feeling of fear in the pit of my stomach, this new feeling was even making me feel sick.

I saw both Seth and Leah phased, and sitting on each side of the entrance.

They looked like guard dogs, but with elegance as their head was held up high.

As I ran past them, I turned to look at Seth, we both gave each other a nod.

It was my form of saying thank you, and goodbye to him.

And it was his form of saying your welcome and thank you as well.

He whined a little and bowed his head.

I ran to where Rosalie was now standing, she was turning around in circles.

Trying to make sure she could spot the mutts, in whichever side they could come out.

Her legs were exposed all the way to her hips on both sides, she had ripped her clothes upstairs earlier, I was sure this helped her move with ease.

Her hair was pulled high up in a ponytail, being held up with the same material her dress was.

I decided to take my shirt off, it was something I always did, when I would fight.

"I can smell them." Rosalie said.

We both had our backs to one another, both of us turning slowly, being each other's back eyes. I felt her shake a bit in a shudder.

"But I can't see them… I'm scared." She said softly.

"Me too." I said, not clearing out which part I was agreeing with.

I felt her hand wrap around my wrist, she squeezed it and rubbed her thumb up and down my wrist before letting go.

"Emmett I love you." Rosalie said.

I swallowed and nodded, not that she could see I, with her back to me.

"I love you too Rose." I said.

"Whatever happens Em, I will make sure nothing happens to the baby." She said.

I continued to look at the woods around us, both of us still turning slowly in a circle.

Only turning away from the woods, when we heard Esme.

I was able to make out when Esme mouthed "_Thank you"_ to Seth and Leah, as she ran past them.

As she ran to us, I was able to see the fear on her face.

It's not that we had never fought before, its just we hadn't done so in a very long time, and even more out numbered.

Now that the three of us were together, this was it, we were the only ones who would have to fight them all.

I knew Leah and Seth wouldn't join in on the fight.

It would be wrong, and far more painful emotionally for them.

"Emmett… Rosalie… you two ready?" Esme asked us.

I swallowed. "Ready."

"Ready." Rosalie said.

All three of us continued our small circle, looking out to the woods around us.

"Is Bella okay." I asked Esme

"I hid her in th-" she began, but I sshed her.

"Ssh, they'll hear." I said

"It's not like they wouldn't be able to smell her you know?" Rosalie said to me.

I continued at the pace we were going, making a circle, our backs to one another.

"I know... not that I plan to let them find her." I said angrily.

I knew they were so close, I just didn't know why they were taking so long to come out.

I looked up at the sky, the stars out; was the only light we could see. The last time I cared to see the stars, was that night with Bella in Ireland.

The night I was more then sure the baby came to be.

I smiled and sighed as looking at the sky reminded of the lyrics of a song I had heard before:

'Take a look to the sky just before you die, it's the last time you will'_… oh god, this can't be happening._ I thought almost choking up.

I had split this whole family apart.

Esme grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"It'll all be over soon son." She said.

"…. But how will it end?" I said quietly.

I turned away from the woods when I heard Seth and Leah growl.

Their head was low, close to the floorboards of our front steps. Their ears were pointing up, their tail held up high, canine teeth baring.

I knew this was their stance of warning before attack.

I sniffed the air, my eyes widened as I saw him come out into the clearing.

--

--

**BELLAS POV**

"EMMEEEEEEEEETT!!!" I said pounding on the door of… of… where ever the hell I was.

At the house of Cullen, you could find yourself in a room you never even knew was there.

I felt around, it felt small like a closet, but there was no clothes hanging anywhere.

They could at least have left me with a flashlight.

Not knowing what was going on outside, and left in the darkness was not helping me feel any better with the pain form my bruised stomach.

I started breathing heavily, as claustrophobia sneaked up like death.

I crawled on all four, I could feel the weight of the baby stretching my tender skin down more.

"Ow, ow, ow." I said sitting down and rubbing my stomach.

"There needs to be a way to get out of here." I said to myself.

I felt around the floor, trying to feel if I could find anything, but at the same time scared of what I _might_ find.

I rested my hand on something, feeling it I pulled it towards me.

It was a duffel bag, touching the straps length and pattern, I was able to recognize it as mine.

Esme and Carlisle must have put it here, when they came back from the Island.

I quickly opened it, feeling around. I pulled out what I knew was my zip up hoodie, I put it on and continued to feel around the bag.

Quickly finding socks, I put them on. Seeing what else I could find, I ran my hand into a cylinder object… Charlie's can of pepper spray, he instead I carry.

I pulled it out and touched it in the dark, wondering if I would ever be able to give it back to him. Shaking my head I put it into my pocket, just in case.

I continued to look into my bag, when I felt the small pouch of little make up I wore.

Opening it, I found something I had forgot I packed, but now realized would come to use.

Pulling out the blade nail filler, I quickly went to the door.

Finding the knob, as I had a hard time in the dark seeing where to attempt to open it.

I felt a rumble in my stomach.

"Oh baby, I know your hungry, but hold on." I said to the darkness, as I continued to try and open the door.

I was able to open doors with ID's but I had never attempted with this object or even with type of door.

My stomach growled again. This time though, the baby decided to demand his hunger with a punch to my stomach.

"I know I know baby." I said. In my frustration I slammed my hand hard into the end of the nail filers handle.

"Ow." I said grabbing my hand, the force I had hit the nail filer hurt, but I must have hit it hard into the doors lock as well, because the door opened.

Only to expose me to more darkness, the only light I was able to see, was that coming from the outside, which was little to none.

--

--

**EMMETT'S POV**

As he continued to walk towards us, I fell down to my knees and began to sob, my face twisting in sadness, but with out the tears.

"Oh my." Esme said, but as I was looking down to the grass, I did not know if she was saying it to me or him.

Seth and his sister continued to growl.

I raised my hands to silence them and said it was okay.

As he came to where I was he rested his hand on my shoulder.

"You know?" he asked me.

I looked up at Edward and nodded. "That their coming?" I asked nodding.

He nodded before asking where Bella was.

"I hid her." Esme said. "Alice and Jasper?" she asked him.

"They went out hunting, I left them and came. I heard Jacobs plans. And I couldn't let you all fight alone… where Carlisle?" he asked.

"He's gone." I said to him, I was still on my knees.

"Gone?" Edward asked confused.

"He went to look for others to help us. Since we were out numbered." Rosalie said.

I continued to look up at Edward, hoping he would look at me, to see the pain I was in, to let him see how truly sorry I was for everything. But instead he looked over to the house.

"Why are they here?" he asked cautiously.

"Seth was kicked out his pack when he helped Bella escape unharmed. And Leah stood by her brother side." I said to him.

He finally looked at me, and squatted, so we could see eye to eye.

"Edward I'm so sorry." I said him, my voice breaking into another sob. "Let's talk this over."

"You know, a major part of me is thinking why should I care? Like I said before, you took away the one person it took me over a century to find." He said.

I looked away from him. But another part of me is just saying, let it be Edward. Just let it be." He said.

"Look guys I don't mean to break this whole thing up, but the mutts are on their way you know." Rosalie said.

"Rosalie!" Esme said. "Go check up on Bella."

"Ugh, fine." Rosalie said.

"I'm going to go take a closer look from a tree, maybe I'll be able to see something from up there." Esme said. I knew she wanted to give Edward and I some privacy.

Both Edward and I nodded. I was sure he had read her mind.

--

--

**EDWARDS POV**

"I'm going to go take a closer look from a tree, maybe I'll be able to see something from up there." Esme said.

"_Edward, son, please listen to him. He really is sorry."_ I heard Esme think.

I nodded to her.

Both Emmett and I watched her climb up a tree near by quickly, up until she was at the very top.

I continued to squat, in this position and time, any human would be exhausted.

I looked at Emmett, who was still looking down in shame, I found it sad how a shirtless man his size, seemed in so much pain.

"Edward I'm sorry man." He said

"I just want to ask why? Why did you do it Emmett?" I asked him.

He looked up at the sky and shook his head. "I don't know man, it just happened."

I hit my leg hard. "No! things like _**fucking**_ your brothers girlfriend, doesn't just _happen_." I said, he looked at me surprised at my reaction.

"I just… I…" Emmett continued to stutter.

I shook my head.

"When did it all start?" I asked him.

"What do you mean? Like when did I start digging her? Or when did I realize she digged me? Or when did I first fu-" but before he could finish the last part I stopped him.

"Uh uh uh. Please don't say that word. When did all of it happen." I said to him.

"Well I mean, I knew she started liking me since before the trip. Just before going to the Island, when Rosalie and I had got into an argument, and you two passed by as I kissed Rose, I saw this look on face. I can't explain it, but that's when I began to wonder if she did. When we were on the island… I almost wanted to kill her." He said

My head jerked back in shock. "What?" I said. Did he just say he wanted to kill her??

"She let me try some of the food she was eating, and when I did, I was able to taste her on it. After that I was like on frenzy for her. I mean don't think I just went for it, I tried bro, I really did. I tried keeping away the thoughts from her. But the more I saw that she actually might be into me to, the more I wanted to see what you saw in her." He said.

I could feel my boiling point rising, but I just took a deep breath and asked him to continue.

"And how did you two finally admit to one another, you… "dug" each other." I said, trying to use his vocabulary.

"Remember that day Rosalie went on a bitchade, when you found Bella and me deep in the jungle on the Island?" he asked.

I closed my eyes and sighed as I realized I had over looked thinking anything bad about that night.

"Yeah." I said finally opening them and slapping my knee. "Please don't tell me you two had intercourse that night. Because I did." I said to him. The thought of having been intimate with Bella just after Emmett did made me want to rip his head off right here.

"No no no man, but that's when it was all out in the open. I didn't have.. "Intercourse." With her until we got to Ireland." He said.

I closed my eyes and laughed. "Oh god, just hearing it hurts as bad as seeing it." I said.

"Seeing it?" he asked sickened.

"Alice." I said

He looked away. "Oh."

We stood quiet, just looked up at Esme, who was jumping from tree to tree.

"Why did you come back?" Emmett asked me.

"I'm only doing for you, what you would do for me. Although it hurts me to know Bella is yours now, and that you two are going to have child- which wow, I never thought could be physically possible. But in the end, you're my brother Emmett, and I love you just as much as I love Bella. Just… treat her good Emm, girls like her don't come easily. Believe me." I said to him

"Were you really going to go to Italy?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I just wanted them to take me from this hell. But I knew it couldn't be right. I knew there was more that I had to live for, and when I heard Jacob's plan, I knew I had to come back and-"

"EMMETT! EDWARD!" We were both interrupted from our deep conversation.

I had gotten so into it, that I had forgotten about the mutts.

We both looked up to Esme, who was now quickly jumping down the tree.

"_Watch out!"_ I heard someone think.

I turned to see the male wolf at the door, he was growling, his thoughts loudly warning Emmett and I to move out the way.

The other wolf, a female I hear, was pleading with her ex pack to retrieve.

She continued to repeat someone name… Sam?

When I turned back to the woods I only had the chance to feel Emmett's hand to my chest, as he pushed me to the ground.

Landing on the floor I saw a big brown wolf land hard on the spot Emmett and I had just been at. His teeth were big and sharp, much more dangerous looking then what I thought.

I knew who this was.

He growled at me then turned to Emmett.

"_Jacob! Please!" _I heard the female wolf at the door say to him.

--

--

**BELLAS POV**

"Baby please." I said crawling in the darkness, the baby once again was kicking angrily.

Just like before, it felt like there was a brawl going on inside of me.

The speed of the baby was amazing to even say.

"If you're a boy, then your going to be just like daddy. But if you're a girl, then good luck to boys who try dating you."

I said, chuckling a little, to ease my own pain.

With the adjustment of my eyes to the dark, I was able to vaguely see what was in front of me.

"EMMETT! EDWARD!" I heard a woman scream from outside.

"Oh no." I said, I knew that it had all started now.

My mind began to panic, I needed to be out there, I needed to try and stop this all.

I began crawling faster, trying to ignore the pain of my stomach.

_Edward? Did she say Edward? Edward was back!?_ I thought.

As I got close to what I could see was the door, it opened wide open, the open side hitting me straight in the face. The impact of it was so hard, that I even heard the wall crack, as the doorknob hit into it.

"Uhhhh" I tried to say, as I felt pain shoot through my nose and mouth., my eyes bean to water.

I could smell blood beginning to pool out my nose, the taste of it coating my tongue.

Brining my hand to my mouth, as it felt like it was quickly swelling, I began feeling light headed from the smell of the blood.

I shook my head, to try and snap out of it, but pain shot through me. My jaw was broken.

"Theeeeere you are." Said Rosalie.

"Ro-Ro—Roslee" I couldn't speak properly, it hurt.

"It erts." I tried telling Rosalie that I was in pain.

I sighed loudly as the baby began kicking me again.

I felt drool coming out my mouth, I was sure it wasn't just drool coming out.

My head began to hurt, it hurt worse then when I had migraines from heavily studying.

I heard a loud noise, and the house shook a bit.

Rosalie squatted, coming down to eye level.

I couldn't see her to well in the dark.

"Do you hear that?" she asked me, referring to what was going outside.

"Ro-lee, it erts." I said grabbing the side of my face.

"Oh, did I do that?" She said petting my head. "I'm sorry." She said grabbing a hold of my hair. And pulling me along with her, dragging me.

"Roooo, Rooooo-lee." I tried saying her name. My hands were trying to grab at her wrist, trying to remove her hold from my hair.

The baby continued to beat me up from inside. I started to cry as the pain all over my body consumed me whole.

We finally stopped, she crouched down to me again, I could feel her face to close to mine, she still a hold of hair.

"Wa-i, Roe?" I tried asking her why she was doing this.

"Why? Because you little tramp-" she said shaking my head by the hair, I felt some of it rip out.

"Ah." I said in pain.

Rosalie continued. "-because I've never liked you. First you took Edward, you?! Why you, your ugly, he was meant for me all along. When I finally find someone for me, you take him too?"

She got close to me, and licked the side of my face.

"Mm, I haven't fed on a human in a long time." She said as she continued to lick the side of my face.

I started crying as I knew she was going to kill me, she had promised that nothing would happen to my baby, Emmett told me she did. If she hurt me, she'd hurt the baby.

"Bu- u- pra-missd" I tried, but I couldn't say it all, without me moaning in pain.

"I promised nothing would happen to the baby, and I'm keeping that promise. I didn't promise anything for you. After you go bye bye I'm taking the baby out. If it's as strong as us, it should heal fast, if not, I'll just convert the baby and it'll be all mine." She said.

"No." I said grabbing my stomach, as I continued to cry.

She got close to me again and continued to lick the blood on my face.

"Your pathetic." She said, before I felt her push me.

"Ah!" I screamed as my body began tumbling down what I knew were stairs.

As I rolled down the stairs I screamed as I felt my hip crack, I bit my tongue, my stomach hit against one of the steps, the baby began trashing around.

Landing on the bottom, I felt my leg crack, and a stab of pain as something sharp tore through my skin.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed, I began sobbing and screaming in pain.

I reached down to my leg, and touched the part where I felt something tear.

I could clearly feel the bone form my leg sticking out.

Rosalie was coming down the stairs slowly, I could hear her coming down step by step.

"Oh Bella, you really should be more careful." She said laughing hysterically.

--

--

;)


	27. Broken pack

**EMMETTS POV**

As the wolf glared from Edward to me, I could see traces of drool coming from his mouth. His mouth was so threatening, that I was able to even see its gums, which held his very sharp, and big canine teeth.

His snot wrinkled closely to his narrowed focused eyes.

His head was low, his ears pointed up.

I was even able to see the brown fur on his back standing up.

Goddamn, this motherfucker is HUGE! I thought to myself.

Right now I was scared. I was scared for Esme, for Edward, for Rosalie, who was taking care of my precious Bella… and my baby.

But I also have to admit, I was also very scared for myself. I was scared because I didn't want to die without getting to see my baby.

Not again, I wanted to be able to raise him or her, to be grateful every day I would have until this Earth seized to exist.

I heard Edward clear his throat, I took a quick peek at him, he shook his head slowly.

He had heard my thoughts.

_No_? _What do you mean no?_ _There's a bigger one?!_

I looked down at his hand, as he made a sort of motion with it.

And pointed toward the direction of the wolf, or so I thought it was at the wolf.

But something else caught my attention, making me redirect my attention to what he was actually pointing at, towards the woods where this wolf had just came from.

And before my eyes five other wolfs emerged.

I puffed my chest out, and balled my fists, getting ready.

I felt a hand come to my chest. I hadn't even noticed when she had done it, but Esme had come down from the tree she was at, and was now standing behind Edward and I.

She was slowly pulling Edward and I back.

Which was useless, for every step we took, the big wolf took two.

"Jacob, it doesn't have to come to this." Said Edward

_You have to be kidding I thought to myself. THIS was Jacob Black?_

I knew he was a couple of inches taller then me.

But god damn was he a beast as a wolf.

The other five wolfs flanked behind him

Each was different then the other, and I finally noticed the one wolf Edward must be talking about.

He had a grey coat of fur, he was shorter then Jacob was, but he seemed much bigger in mass.

I knew that he must have looked as muscular as I do, when was in his human form.

He must have seen me staring at him, because he snapped his teeth at me.

But one of the other big wolfs nudged him.

This wolf stepped forward, next to Jacob, just like Jacob, his ears were pointed up. But unlike him, his head was held up high, proud and mighty.

His tail was curled, although he seemed at ease, he had a powerful presence about him. It wasn't hard to realize he was the packs Alpha.

Edward took a step forward, was he crazy?

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAN?_ I asked him

Esme gasped. "Edward no." she whispered.

But he ignored me.

--

--

**EDWARD'S POV**

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAN?_ Emmett's thoughts screamed into my head.

_Come on Jacob, you have a clean sweep right there, just rip his head off! _Said the grey wolf.

_Do it! DO IT! _ Said one of the other wolfs laughing. 

_PAUL! JARED! QUIET! _Ordered their Alpha, I knew his name was Sam.

Bella had spoken to me about him before… and now I knew the name of two other wolfs.

"Jacob, look we have worked this out before, we can do it again. I mean look at us now. You have broken the treaty by crossing the line, yet we haven't attacked. We are more civilized then what you give other of our kind to be." I said to him.

I stepped back when Jacob leaped up in the air, he ran towards the woods.

I thought he was going to run away, but with his heavy and dangerous paw he swatted at one of the big trees at the entrance of the woods.

Sending it flying towards our way.

Esme screamed, as I used myself to shield her, I pushed her down, landing over her.

Emmett too just made it in time, as we felt the big tree fly above us, missing us by an inch or a half.

It hit the floor, bouncing a few time before hitting hard to the side of the house.

… poor Bella, she must be scared out her mind.

_He broke the treaty first! _Jacob said coming back, he stopped just before us again, and began huffing at Emmett.

Emmett stood up and started walking up to Jacob, but Esme pulled him back.

"Hey fuck you man! You want it, then bring it mutt. This shit is between you and me." Said Emmett.

I heard Paul laugh. He looked like he was just waiting to get this started.

_Come on Sam! Lets get this over with. COME ON! _Said Paul.

But Sam ignored him, and continued to gaze at us.

Paul and the other wolfs continued to stand un easy. They looked like they could lunge at us any moment.

"He didn't break the treaty. The treaty we had once agreed upon was, no harm to a human of any sort. There was a clearly a physical thing there, but none that would state the treaty as being broken. If anything the soul being of you all being here, is what is breaking the treaty here." I said to Jacob.

_Fuck them bro! You don't have to explain shit to them, just let them bring it already. I don't owe them jack man!_ Said Emmetts thoughts to me.

Jacob didn't seem to like the fact I had just reminded him, that Emmett and Bella had slept together. He growled loudly.

_That little monster is going to kill Bella! _Jacob said.

"I'll admit that we have never dealt with anything like this, and that there has been no history of my kind of this either. But Carlisle is a doctor, she has us here, we are not going to let anything bad happen to her, obviously as you can see." I said to him

_Separating the fact that Jacob has feelings for Bella, we are mainly concerned about what the thing she carries might not only do to her, but how much danger it will make for everyone else.. _Said Sam, his voice calm but demanding.

"But that's the thing! We don't know how the baby will come out, my family and I are more then plenty, and capable of taking care of it when its born. We can raise it as a vegetarian. And show it to grow up civil like we do." I said to him.

_VEGETARIAN!? _Paul howled into a mad laughter, followed by the others.

To Emmett and Esme, who could not hear their thoughts, it sounded like a pack of hyenas.

_I.T…. WILL… NOT.. BE… BORN! _Jacob said loudly.

--

--

**BELLAS POV**

I tried dragging myself, as much as I could toward where I knew was the door.

But the pain was too much. My eyes were beginning to want and give out, they continued to lose focus, rolling around.

The smell of copper was consuming my nose. At this point breathing hurt, let alone trying to talk.

"Ro-lee pweeeess." I begged to her.

I knew everyone outside must have been caught up with what was going on outside, but could no one really hear what was going on.

I could make out her shadow, when she jumped form the stair case, and landed on top of me. Both her legs separated, so I was between them. She landed so gracefully.

Grabbing me by the hair again she began to laugh.

"So tell me Bella, what was Edwards reaction when you told him, you were **fucking my husband?!**_**"**_She said the last part angrily, pulling some of my hair as she shook it.

"Ah, ah ah." I said in pain. I grabbed at her hand, only to have her grab it with the other.

I thought she was just trying to shove it away, when I began feeling to hold of her hand tighten. She continued to squeeze.

I screamed, as I felt the bones in my fingers crack, but even then she continued to squeeze until she stopped, laughing hysterically.

I brought my hand down to my chest. Crying.

You know that feeling you have when you get a bruise? And I mean one of those big bruises, and it leaves that feeling of your skin being very tender? Well that how this felt, my fingers literally felt like mush.

I brought my un hurt hand lower to say good bye to my baby, when I felt something in my hoodies pocket.

I reached in, and grabbed the cylinder object, pepper spray can.

I knew this was stupid, like it would work, nothing man made can hurt vampires.

Edward always said nothing of that sort can penetrate a vampire's skin, but he never said anything about their eyes, their sense of sight and smell are sharper after all.

Either way right now I was desperate, and this was better then trying nothing at all.

"What do you have to say ? Any last words as you humans like to sa-?" She said coming close to me.

"Uck u!" I said spraying the pepper spray into her mouth and face.

She fell back coughing, I could see her hands at her face.

"YOU BITCH! YOU BITCH!" she said, she continued to roll hell on to me, but I took the chance, to drag myself to the door.

I let the pain flow in, I tried reaching for the doorknob, but it was too high.

I looked at Rosalie who was still calling me names, she was clawing at the air around her.

With my last strength I finally turned the knob and opened the door.

… "Eh-werd?" I said trying to squint, my vision was so blurred now.

I must be dead. Then why am I still in so much pain?

No this had to be hell, hell for everything I have done.

--

--

**EMMETTS POV**

As Jacob crouched down, I knew he was about to jump, both Edward and I got into a stance.

When we were interrupted by someone.

"NO! NO! WAIT! DON'T DO IT!"

We all turned to see Leah, running towards us naked.

Clearly not even her nude flash was getting in her way now.

"Oh my." Said Esme uncomfortably.

She ran towards us, and the man in my immediately kicked in. I knew it wasn't the right time, but I couldn't help it.

Her tan skin, was perfectly curved into a well-figured woman.

The exercise she must have gotten from her running with the mutts, obviously did her very well. How she was able to run with those things on her chest, was really-

But I stopped my thoughts, when I saw Edward turn and glare at me.

_Sorry. _I said to him in my head.

I hadn't been trying to keep Edward out of my head anymore, it wasn't really that easy to do it with was going on.

The rest of the wolf pack, must have been used to seeing her naked, because it seemed they took no real interest or shock when they saw her.

She stopped in front of us. Her hands spread out in front of us. I looked down at her to see her very nice a-

Edward glared at me again and growled.

_SORRY SORRY! _I said in my head again, I tried looking elsewhere.

--

--

**EDWARDS POV**

I turned and glared to Emmett, who was having inappropriate thoughts about the young lady before us.

Was he serious? This was not the time or place, actually it will never be the time or place.

It was being to anger me, wondering if these are the sorts of thoughts he had of Bella.

Lost in my thoughts I hadn't noticed what had gone on, until Esme said. "Oh for crying out loud."

I looked up to see Jacob naked, both Emmett and I looked at each other uncomfortable at seeing him in this state.

"LEAH MOVE!" He commanded.

She ignored him and continued to plead.

_I guess we know whose side the bitch is on._ Said Paul.

"Sam please. Don't hurt Seth." She said, falling to her knees.

_You want us to move her Sam? _Asked one of the other wolfs.

_Let her be. I'll talk to her._ Said Sam.

"LEAH! I SAID MOVE!" ordered Jacob again.

Leah spit at his feet. "You can't tell me what to do Jacob Black! Especially you!"

_I'd smack that bitch for you if you want Jake._ Said Paul laughing.

Sam stepped forward, and before our eyes the fur on his skin began to recede, the wolf before us was no longer what we first saw. But was now replaced by a muscular tan man.

Much like Jacob, he was tall, and shared the same tribal tattoo on his shoulder.

And just like Jacob he also stood naked before us.

_Dude! I have never seen so much package in my life. _Said Emmett.

I tried not to laugh, but he was right. Before today I had only been accustomed of having seen mine.

Esme took this chance to pull us back a bit.

I watched as Sam got down on his knees as well, and grabbed Leah's hand, he grabbed her chin with the other, making sure she looked up at him.

"Sam… please don't hurt Seth." She said to him again.

"Leah, come back to me… I miss you." Sam said.

_The hell he does! Watch her eat this shit up. _I could hear the wolf named Paul say to the others.

Jacob, who seemed uninterested at what his Alpha was doing, continued to glare at Emmett.

"Come back Leah. Just look at you… your becoming lost. You need us… I need you." Said Sam kissing her hand.

"Really?" asked Leah hopeful. I didn't need Jasper to tell me her heartache.

_He misses me. _ I heard Leah's thoughts.

There clearly was a story to these two.

_What did I tell you? _Jeered on Paul.

She looked over at me and then at Esme and Emmett.

"And Seth?" she asked. Looking over at her brother.

Who was now much closer to us then the house. But still he kept his distance.

_Dude… should we be here?_ Emmett asked me in his head.

I shrugged slowly, I honestly didn't know. It felt like we were in between their packs drama.

Sam stood up, letting go of Leah's hand.

"Seth, come here." Sam ordered him.

_You can't order me anymore._ Said the wolf named Seth in his head.

"SETH!" Sam said louder.

But Seth didn't move a single inch.

"Seth…. Please." Leah said.

This time Seth listened, he did as his sister told him I walked towards us.

Just before Sam could speak again, we all turned to the house when we heard someone screaming.

--

--

**EMMETTS POV**

At the entrance of the doorway of the house, I saw Bella.

But before I could see her, I was able to faintly smell her, through the awful musk that the mutts were drawing.

The sweet smell of her blood, hit the back of my throat hard.

"YOU BITCH!" is all that we could hear all over and over again.

"Emmett… Bella's hurt" Edward said to me.

Which seemed odd to hear, usually he'd be the first one at her side.

Just as I stepped forward to run towards her. I felt a heavy blow to my chest, sending me flying back.

I crashed hard into the ground, digging a trail into it as I skid.

Looking up, I noticed Edward was busy fighting of one of the mutts.

Esme was running as fast as she could, away from the two wolves chasing after her.

I noticed she had a slight limp to her run.

And then I noticed Seth and the big black wolf Edward had talked about earlier.

"GET UP!" Said Jacob as he stood above me. He had been the one who had hit me.

"Fuck you." I said, although I did stand up, it wasn't for him.

But it was for Bella, who had just rolled down the short staircase we had.

I could hear her cough, and choke a little… on her own blood?

"SETH!" I heard Leah scream, before Jacob punched me in the back of the head, I noticed Seth was chasing after Paul, who was going at full speed at Bella.

"HIT ME!" said Jacob.

"Fuck you man!" I said punching him in the face, sending him towards the woods.

I heard his nose crack, as my hand made impact.

"AH!" I heard Esme scream. I turned to see one of the wolfs has ripped her hand away from her wrist clean.

Edward was trying to get to her but, he was busy fighting off the Alpha.

He scratched him across the face, making him howl loudly.

I turned to Bella and then at them, I knew everything was going so fast. But I swear it felt like everything was in slow motion.

I couldn't just leave my family alone, but Bella…

And like a prayer sent to me, Jasper and Alice appeared out of nowhere.

Alice hoped on top of one of the wolfs that had just took Esme's right leg off. And began to tighten her grip around his neck with her legs.

I swear I could even hear the panic in his breathing, as she began to crush his neck.

With her hands, she dug her nails into his eyes.

Jasper bite down on the other wolfs neck, the wolf twisted his neck hard, making Jasper slam into a tree. The very same wolf, started to run towards Jasper. Jasper crouched down as the wolf lifted its front legs up.

Jasper did a tackling move, grabbing the wolf form under its stomach, and flipping him backwards over his shoulder.

Knowing that they were here now, I continued to run to Bella. But I felt a sharp pain, as I felt my back burning, Jacob Black had just dug his claws deep into the back of my skin.

--

--

**SETH'S POV**

"SETH" she said to me.

But I continued to race against Paul. Trying to get to Bella first, with one leap I jumped on top of Bella, protecting her under my body.

She looked bad, what the hell happened?

I looked behind me and noticed the blonde vampire kicking around.

Had she done this?

Paul growled at me, I knew he was trying to talk to me, but I couldn't understand him.

So he phased.

"Seth if you don't move I have absolutely have no problem with hurting you." He said.

I closed my eyes and began to shiver, I felt a great cold as I tried to escape the darkness, and step out into my human form.

It took me longer then it took him to phase.

"Paul please you can't hurt her." I said.

Paul raised his hand to punch me, but Leah grabbed it into her hand.

"PAUL NO!" she said.

He smacked her with the back of his hand.

As she landed hard on her back, she fell back growling, shaking. I knew she was very upset, always causing her to phase, but this time it was going to be different.

I could hear her thoughts, but they seemed far away.

"_Seth… it hurts." _ She said crawling away towards the woods. Her cries began to mix with howls "_I love you."_ She said, then there was silence.

"You two are traitors, traitors to your brothers, and traitors to your own kind!" he said.

I began breathing harder, as what he had just done to my sister, he had drawn the last of the line.

Paul laughed. "Come on little Seth, bring it. Jacobs not here to protect you anymore."

I began shaking as I tried controlling my phase, I was scared that the same thing as what was happening to Leah, would happen to me.

I didn't want to become trapped in between, not while I had to protect Bella… and the baby.

But I controlled it as the blonde leech jumped over me and on to Paul.

"SHE'S MINE TO FINISH!" she said. Scratching at Paul's chest.

Paul rolled her over and began punching her face repeatedly.

It sounded like a sledgehammer against concrete.

"Crazy bitch!" he said punching her harder each time.

She scratched the side of his face, making him scream.

With both his hands he started pounding at her chest. I heard her chest crack.

She screamed and hissed. Lifting her head she bite into his arm.

I took the opportunity to pick Bella up, I began walking away from the others.

Trying to move as carefully as I could, to not cause her any more pain then she already was in.

The sight of her crying and slipping away brought tears to my eyes, "Bella, no please. You can make it." I said to her. I pressed my forehead to her sweaty forehead.

Tears were coming down her eyes faster.

"wer… wers Eh-werd?an Em-it?" she tried to speak.

I looked over at the others trying to look for Edward and Emmett, from this area, I couldn't really see much.

I shook my head, "I don't know. But right now we have to focus on you and the baby."

She started choking on some of the blood she had, I rolled her over, so she could let some of it fall out.

I looked down and noticed the bone in her leg sticking out.

What the hell was wrong with that crazy leech?

Then she started screaming loudly, her screaming didn't stop.

"Bella what's wrong?!" I asked panicked. What else could be happening to her now?

But she only continued to scream and cry.

I could hear something cracking. She started lifting at her shirt.

I raised it up, and could clearly see the baby moving around.

"Oh god… oh god." I said standing up. I pulled at my hair. "Oh god.. what should I do? Oh god." I kept saying. The baby was ready to come out.

--

--

So my excuse for the LONG wait?

I had written more then just this chapter, actually I had even gone up to the ending, that way I wouldn't have made you all wait so long for updates. But as I was saving files (including the finished chapters) into a CD, they all wiped out. Along with music and hundreds of pictures. IN my anger I thought "fuck this" and was not even going to continue writing, but the continues adding from readers encouraged me to rewrite this chapter at least.


	28. Trade off

**I have been told before that the Cullen's cannot bleed (along with other things I have written), because in Stephenie Meyer's books, they don't. Although I am basing my story of Meyers characters and general theme, I am doing a bit of my version into it as well. In other words.. IN MY STORY THEY DO :smiles: **

**--**

**--**

**EMMETTS POV**

Screaming I kept cursing, as Jacob bite into my arm. He pulled at it, until he had taken my forearm and hand away with him.

With my other hand, I punched him in the side of his head, making him fall off me. I got up and grabbed at his tail. I began to spin him, making sure he hit into the near by tree's each time.

Finally I spun him up into the air, and made him impact on to the ground.

Grabbing his heavy wolf paw I began pushing it backwards until I heard a pop.

He howled loudly. He clawed at me with his other paw.

"Mutt! I know you love that girl as much as I do." I said to him, but he continued to howl.

So I hit him straight into the face with my head, re-breaking his nose.

I could smell a mixture of our bloods, along with Bella's sweetened one.

"LISTEN!" I said to him "CAN'T YOU HEAR HER?" I screamed into his face.

He stood quiet, I could see his eyes wander off into the direction I could hear her screaming.

"Now when I get off you. I need to get to her. If you love her, you will let me save her. I'm sure you know what I mean by that." I said to him

He growled at me.

"DO YOU WANT HER TO DIE?!" I said

The fur on him began to recede, I was no longer laying on a big over heated wolf.

But instead the Jacob I was used to seeing. He no longer seemed like the pissed off man from earlier, but he actually seemed like a scared little pup.

A little pup with blood running down his nose and neck. He had visible bruises.

I still kept my grip on his neck. So he put a strong hold on to the wrist I had on his neck.

"I love her. But it's against what I was made for, if I let you do that to her.." He said to me

"Then at least let me get ahead a few seconds. Let me see if she's okay… let me say my goodbye... Then you can have me. You and your brothers can take me. I'll go without a fight, me for them." I said to him pleading. "Is it really about the baby… or is it about me? Do you really think a infant is such a danger already?"

He looked at me for a bit, and let go of my hand. It looked like it was taking all his will power.

"I'll call the others off your family in a moment, until then you better be quick with your farewell, and they better be quick with their actions. I trained my boys good." He said.

I stood up and ran towards Bella's screams, I turned to look behind my shoulder, he was already back to his wolf form.

Running past the house, I could see the one named Paul chewing on something.

I couldn't make out what it was, so I made a joke to myself, reminding me about stupid dogs playing with chew toys. I was just trying to ease some nerves and shock from myself.

When he turned around to face me, he held… Rosalie'ss head in his mouth. At least what I was able to make out of it.

If it weren't for the blonde curls, I wouldn't have even known it was her.

Paul looked away from me and up, when we both heard a hiss.

Carlisle looked as horror struck as I did when he saw Rosalie's body parts laying around.

He hissed at Paul again, and leaped in the air, but only got brought down by one of the other wolfs.

This very same wolf was being fought by Jasper earlier… oh no… Jasper

--

--

"_He has one of the purest, sincerest, kindest minds I've ever heard._"

―Edward Cullen on Seth: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

--

--

**SETHS POV**

"ETH!" Bella screamed at me through her screams. "ELP.... ELP!" she said chocking again.

"Oh god." I said. "Okay.. okay… I can do this." I said more to myself then at her.

I got down on my knees and ripped at her pants. I hesitated for a moment, feeling awkward at pulling down her under attire as well with that.

"ETH!" Bella urged at me, before screaming again.

I could feel my face begin to boil in embarrassment as I pulled her panties down, and spread her legs.

I looked away, I had just never seen a woman like this before. Not anyone else besides my sister.

As horrible as that sounds, it felt more natural to see my sister when she would phase, then someone who was not related to me.

"Bella I'm going to be honest, I don't know what the hell I need to do here. Every film I see, the girl yells at her spouse for causing her to be in this pain. And the doctor continuous to say PUSH PUSH! So…. PUSH?" I said to her.

She looked up and started to scream again.

"Oh god." I said as I heard something crack again. I knew there was no way she could survive this, not unless… but its against our beliefs…

"HELP! HELP!" I screamed trying not to cry.

Emmett came to us, looking sickened. I noticed part of his arm was missing.

"Em- it." Bella said crying

Emmett looked at me, then at Bella's pants and underwear, and looked at me again.

"It not what you think!" I said. This must really look bad… not to mention I was naked.

He looked at Bella again confused, the same sickened expression on his face.

I wasn't sure if he was still shocked from the scenes we were hidden from. Or if perhaps I was actually abut to get killed, by the very same person who saved me.

"The baby! The baby! Its coming!" I said quickly.

I pointed at her crotch. I jumped a bit when he suddenly appeared next to me.

_They are much faster, when your still. _I thought to myself.

"What happened to your hand?" I asked him

"Jacob Black." Is all he said.

I looked away uncomfortable, I mean what else should I do? Here we were two "clan enemies" side by side looking at Bella's… reproductive area.

I turned to him, he just had his mouth open, Bella continued to scream and cry.

"Hey." I said to him.

He just continued to stare at Bella open mouthed.

"HEY!" I said louder.

Still nothing.

"HEY!" I said pushing him.

Like a solid rock, I didn't make much of an effort in moving him.

"EMMETT!" I said punching him in the face.

He looked up at me and growled "WHAT!?" he said.

"WHAT!? What do you mean what, Bella's going into labor!" I said to him again.

"Right…" he said slowly. "RIGHT!... SHIT!" he said it, like if it finally sunk it.

"Seth." He said "I need you to go get Rosalie."

"Rosalie? Who's Rosalie?" I asked.

"My wife, she's the one with blonde hair." He said.

"Okay." I said getting up.

Was he going to confront her this?

As I walked away I heard Bella trying to say she loved Emmett.

It was odd because as I left their side, I felt a sudden urgency to stay.

As I went around the side of their house, I came into the front opening.

The one named Edward was fighting against Sam, Sam was holding on to his shoulder. He wasn't phased to his wolf form. Edward hit surely bitten him, because he seemed to becoming weakened with their venom.

I know I should care, but right now all that I was concerned about, was Bella's well being.

I looked around me, no blonde hair…

I saw a small short haired one, she noticed me and stared at me confused, before turning to fight off Embry.

I noticed Colin on the ground, he was dead, his eyes Sunken into his skull, his head seemed smashed in.

Not to far from him was… Esme… she had been such a sweet woman, with a big heart, that seeing her like this, made me more sad, then seeing Colin dead on the ground.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" I turned to see Paul.

He had something in his hand. He must have not realized it, because he looked down with me, and threw something into the woods, I got a glimpse of blonde… then I realized that, that was Emmett's wife.

It was her decapitated head, it landed right next to a wolf… Leah?

I was about to walk towards the it, who just like Leah, had the same color fur, but this one was smaller then what Leah was.

But Paul tackled me down.

"WHERE IS SHE!" he demanded again. His hand to my neck.

"Leave… her… alone." I demanded to him. I punched him.

He continued to hold hard, but began shaking, as he began to phase his fingers turned into sharp claws. With his hold still on my neck, his nails began digging into my neck.

I moaned in pain, my anger rising with it, I could smell and feel my blood. I lost control and phased.

I smacked him hard with my hand, causing me to scratch the side of his neck.

I knew that, that would be permanent, we can't heal from each others effects like this.

He rubbed it with his paw quickly, then shock his head like a wet dog.

Before jumping to me, he growled loudly.

He sunk his teeth into my back. I cried once again.

I couldn't let him win, I couldn't cause then he would kill them, Bella and the baby.

I jumped at him and bite down on his neck, he yelped loudly and twisted his body, so we both fell to the ground.

He got on top of me, and started scratching at my chest, each time the sharp pain and heat combined at the wounds he was causing made me yelp.

Then I saw as the small wolf I had seen earlier jumped on his back and bite his ear.

Paul growled and threw the wolf off him, and into the woods.

I took a quick glimpse over at the wolf and noticed she was gone.

Paul must have been confused, thinking I was looking toward where Bella was, and made a dash into the woods.

As I rolled over, I laid there for a moment, my wounds weren't healing, I knew I would have these scars on my chest, for the rest of my life.

I tried phasing back, but it wasn't coming, that familiar feeling of my fur receding.

Then I felt a sharp stab at my stomach, my ribs began to crack as they felt like there were beginning to shrink and come more together.

I howled in pain, it felt so un bearable.

My heart began beating faster, so fast that it felt like I would soon have a heart attack.

_No! NO! not now, please not now!!_ I thought to myself… I didn't want to become lost. Not please not now.

--

--

**EMMETTS POV**

My throat began to tighten.

The sight of how Bella looked right now was a smack in the face of déjà vu.

For a moment I was taken back through time in my mind, the sight of her was so familiar to my dear Hannah's state.

It took a blow to my face for me to snap out of it.

I growled angrily. "WHAT!?" I said to Seth.

"WHAT!? What do you mean what, Bella's going into labor!" He said to me.

"Right…" he said slowly. "RIGHT!... SHIT!" I said.

I swallowed, I wanted to cry, both in joy of knowing that my baby would soon come, and in the state Bella was in.

I caressed her face as she choked up a little.

"Seth." I said "I need you to go get Rosalie."

"Rosalie? Who's Rosalie?" he asked.

"My wife, she's the one with blonde hair." I said.

"Okay." he answered.

I wasn't crazy, I knew she was gone. And I knew by now the mutt named Paul should have gotten rid of her completely by now. I just needed to be alone with Bella right now.

And I knew there was no other way he was going to leave her side.

I had figured out his attachment and loyalty to her for some time now, after his sister had plead to Sam not to hurt her brother.

I knew that she knew what I knew, and that by hurting him, she didn't mean physically.

If___he_ knew, I was not sure… Carlisle had told us about this before. His attachment was not to Bella. But what was inside her… So I had no doubt in my mind that what we were to expect should be a baby girl.

After he left I got down next to Bella's side.

"Em… I ov. O" she said. She looked down at my hand, touched at where my forearm and hand used to be.

I kissed her forehead. Pulling away the rest of my arm, from her reach.

"I love you too. Sssh, sssh save your energy Bella. Your going to need it." I said as she tried talking again.

I knew she was trying to tell me to change her. But I couldn't do it just yet if I did plan to do it. It was too dangerous, she would be in even more pain then the one she was already in, if the baby was the slightest of a regular human, then the venom would flow into her blood stream as well… or worse, Bella could kill the baby after it was born, and with her new strength no on would be bale to control her.

She started to cry.

I looked down at her body, Rosalie had really done a number on her.

I choked up a little.

"I'm sorry I left you with her Bells. I should have known her sudden change of heart was a trick…. Bella she's dead… I don't know who else will be..." I said to her in parts.

She shook her head lightly, she seemed in to much pain. Crying in disbelief.

"Edward's back Bells." I said smiling.

Her tears continued to fall.

"Bella I need to say something to you…" I started swallowing

She just looked up at me, tears flowing down, her face twisted in her pain.

I grabbed her hand. "Bella no matter what happens…. know that I love you and our little one. You are worth what will happen to me. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry for taking so long to realize my feelings for you, and I'm sorry that I won't be there for with or for you. But know that wherever it is I will go, I will always be there to watch over you two. You are the best thing that has happened to me in this life." I said grabbing her stomach, I could clearly feel the baby kicking hard.

She sobbed. "No. peas" she said pleading. She screamed again as I heard something crack.

I lifted her shirt and noticed a deep gash in her stomach.

"Bella look at me." I said to her. But I was lost in my thoughts. When I heard someone coming. I thought it was Jacob finally here to get me.

I turned as I heard someone coming… Carlisle.

I sighed in a slight relief.

He came around and next to me. And gasped.  
"What happened?" he asked me.

"Rosalie." I said.

He looked at Bella's stomach, then between her legs.

"It's time…" Carlisle said.

I nodded. "Carlisle what do you need?" I asked him.

"I need you to hold her down. Bella listen to me, and listen carefully. Your going to have to try and relax, I know its not going to be easy. But I need you to concentrate, your going to have to help the baby. If you don't then it will tear out of you. And after that, in your state, even I'm not sure we can save you." He said to her.

"Juss ave da bebe." She Bella.

"No Bells, no. You need to be there for the baby." I said to her, as I held her head under my other arm.

I kissed her cheek and sobbed.

"Push baby. Push." I said to her.

Bella closed her eyes and sighed I heard her grunt and then she started to scream and sob.

I looked at Carlisle, who had now taken his shirt off, he had it laid out in front of him.

Bella started trying to get up, she was shaking.

"Hold her down Emmett." He said to me.

I grabbed on to her, I held my head close to hers and let her cry into my shoulder.

"Sssh, its okay Bella, your doing great." I said to her, even though I didn't actually know if that was true.

She continued to Sob and scream as the tearing of skin, and cracking of bones continued.

Her body was becoming warmer then it normally was, beads of sweat mixed in with the smell of blood and her tears.

"Your doing great Bella!" I heard Carlisle say.

"I love you so much Bella… oh god do I love you so much" I said sobbing. The smell of her blood from all her wounds were like a flame dancing in my throat.

And then we heard it… a baby crying. I had had my head turned away from Carlisle, I didn't want to see what I had been hearing.

But now as I turned it slowly, I saw Carlisle wrapping something into his shirt.

He looked up at me and Bella and smiled.

"You did it." He said to Bella smiling.

Bella sighed loudly and looked up at me.

But I didn't look down at her, I just continued to stare at the bundle Carlisle was holding, I was speechless. I was filled with so much joy that I was speechless.

Carlisle held the baby out to me. I took the bundle and cradled her into my arms.

She was so small, and pale like Bella and I. She had a slight fuzz of hair on her head.

I sobbed into the babies small belly, my baby girl. I was finally a daddy, and soon I would be leaving her side. She was warm, not cold like me.

"Congratulations son, it's a boy." He said.

I looked up at him.

_A boy?_ Wait… this wasn't right. It has to be a girl. Seth imprinted on my baby… a girl… not a boy…

Then Bella screamed again. Carlisle and I both snapped out heads to her.

Carlisle looked between her legs and then at me.

"Twins?" he asked me.

My mouth dropped in shock… two of them… all along the fast heart beat was actually two heart beats, beating one after the other. The constant attacks to Bella's stomach wasn't from one, but from two babies, perhaps fighting for room.

As Bella began pushing again, she started trying to get up again.

Holding on to the baby, I couldn't hold her down.

I turned when I heard someone, it was Edward.

He had blood on him, I could smell it was the mutts.

He looked down at me and then at the baby. And grinned but then was taken a back when he saw Bella struggling.

"Another one is coming." I said to him slowly.

He looked taken a back as I had when Carlisle told me.

He reached down and took the baby from my arms, allowing me to be by Bella's side again.

"He's beautiful Bella." I said to her. "And she's going to be beautiful like you too." I said to her.

"How do you know its going to be a girl?" Edward asked me.

I sobbed. "Because Seth imprinted on her. That's why he's been so loyal to Bella. Why he turned his back on his brothers." I said to him.

Bella screamed again, and then another infants cry.

Carlisle held on to the baby. It was so clear to see that this one was a girl.

Edward came around, and opened up the bundle my son was in, wrapping both of them together. He passed my babies next to me.

As I held them into my arms, I couldn't stop smiling at them, I couldn't believe I was a father.

I held my finger out to touch them, but the girl grabbed it into her small warm hand. I couldn't help but laugh as I felt her small strength… she was going to be a strong one.

My son came close to my daughter and began sucking on her nose.

"Congratulations Bella." I heard Edward say to Bella, as he went next to her.

He smiled down at her sadly. Caressing her head. I knew he still loved her.

She closed her eyes, her breathing began to hollow, I could hear her heart weakening.

"Son I need to do it now." Carlisle said to Edward and I at the same time.

Both Emmett and I looked at each other, then at Bella. And nodded.

Carlisle positioned himself by her, he tilted her head to the side, so he could expose her neck.

As he got close to her, I stopped him.

"I want to do it." I said to him.

He looked at me concerned.

"I don't think you can do it son." He said to me honestly.

"I want to do it." I said to him again.

I looked at Edward, and he looked away nodding.

Carlisle moved aside taking the babies from me.

As I got close to her, could feel my mouth begin to water.

"I love you." I said to her, then I bite into her neck.

--

--

Next chapter will be the last one.

I just want to take the time to thank you all for reading my story.

For the continues favorites and adders

If you want to continue reading my work, I plan to make anther

Story, not a part two of this. But a different story.

Why should you care? If you are interested, I am setting a vote:

Paul/ Alice

Paul/ and the baby girl in this story – of course that would be a part two to this, but based on THEIR love story then. (AND YES SHE WOULD BE GROWN UP. lol)

Review and vote.


	29. H & M

**USE NOTHING ELSE MATTERS by METALLICA**

**JACOB'S POV**

I could hear Paul laughing in my head.

I turned as I saw him cornering the small leech. She was sobbing on one of the other leeches bodies.

I had seen him before, he had wild blondish hair, that looked messy and untamed.

It must have been her spouse.

I ran to them, she looked up at me frightened and hissed at us both.

"GO AHEAD KILL ME! BUT DON'T THINK YOUR GOING TO BE HURTING ME BY DOING IT! I'LL BE MUCH HAPPIER DEAD THEN WITHOUT HIM!" she said hugging the males body again.

I phased and looked at her.

I wanted to kill her, but I had just made a deal with Emmett.

"Go." I said to her.

Paul growled. I didn't need to hear it, but I knew he was cursing and questioning me.

She looked up at me confused.

"What?" she said.

I clenched my teeth as I wanted to rip her head off right now. It was much harder to want to control it.

"I SAID GO! GO TO THE OTHERS GO!" I screamed to her.

She looked at her loved ones body, then at Paul and I, and ran for it.

Paul huffed at me, I phased back.

_**Why did you let her go?**_Paul asked me angry.

_You will not question me! _I growled at him.

I knew what was going on at the other side of the leeches house, and I knew I shouldn't be allowing it, but I rather Bella be alive… if that's what you want to call it. Then not be able to ever see her again.

I turned as Embry carried Colins body, and laid it right next to Sam's and the others.

Embry was just as bad as we were, the scratches the leeches left us, would heal, but would leave a permanent reminder.

Now that Sam was gone, I was left as the Alpha.

_Embry go tell Emily. And the others. _I ordered to him

_I want to stay! _He said.

_GO! Paul and I will handle this now. _I said to him.

He looked reluctant, but he finally bowed his head and departed at full speed.

I nodded to Paul to follow along with me.

We walked towards the direction the small leech ran to.

But stopped and turned towards the woods when we heard two wolfs whimpering… I knew it was Leah and Seth.

_Come_ I said to them, but they only whimpered more and backed away into the darkness of the tree's

**[[PLAY NOTHING ELSE MATTERS BY METALLICA HERE]]**

**EMMETTS POV**

I closed my eyes as I felt my teeth rip through her soft skin.

I heard her give a low moan.

The instant my teeth went in, a shot of her sweet blood coated my tongue.

That's when the craze began, I grabbed a grip of her hair into my hand as I held it in place.

It was so much different to the animals I've had to hunt. Her blood was thin, sweet, and more appealing then I had thought it would be.

I opened them just as I heard Alice and Carlisle.

"Their gone." She said sobbing. "Esme… Jasper… Rose their all gone."

I heard Carlisle's choking expression as he received this news.

Alice started screaming. "Bella! What happened to her? Emmett stop it! Stop it! You're drinking to much, your going to kill her."

I felt her small hands pounding on my back.

I never thought I would hit a woman, unless if it was Victoria or Jane. But I kicked her with the back of my leg.

I heard her scream, followed by a bang. I was guessing I had sent her towards the house's wall..

"Alice, you can't stop him, non of us can, only he has to find the will power." I heard Carlisle's strained voice say.

He must have been trying to hold her back.

"THEIR COMING EMMETT! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, NOW WE ARE ALL DEAD FOR SURE." Alice said to me.

I could feel Bella's head tilting back, becoming weakened.

_Stop Emmett, stop._ I told myself.

But my thirst wasn't stopping, it was telling me to continue.

I felt someone's presence next to me.

"Emmett. You need to stop." It was Edward.

I looked up at him, not taking my teeth away from Bella's neck.

"Emmett, I know it's hard, but you need to try. Look at them, they need you two." He said to me, as he held out my babies towards me.

_Stop Emmett! STOP!_

I said to myself, I hissed as I pulled away from her. I jumped away from her body.

I could feel a surge of power, I felt stronger then I ever had before.

I kept my back to them, not wanting to turn around.

**[You may end song here if you like ]**

It took Bella's sudden moans of pain for me to turn around, followed by the sound of a loud growl. I recognized Jacob and the other mutt who had killed Rosalie.

I saw Edward hand my babies over to Alice, and he stood up straight, ready for them.

Carlisle was by Bella, he was trying to keep up with his gaze at the mutts, and at Bella.

Jacob phased and went to Bella.

I instantly went next to them, grabbed Jacob by the shoulder and tossed him back.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!" I said.

The black wolf growled, but Jacob ordered him to stop. Holding his hand out in a command.

"You stay away mutt!" I said to Jacob.

He looked around me to Bella, who was now moaning and tightening her body in pain.

I knew what she was going through, I had gone through it once, but it would soon be over.

"I want to say goodbye… just like you." He said to me.

Alice jumped next to me. "STAY AWAY!" she hissed.

"It's okay." I said nodding. I grabbed Alice by the waist and pulled her away with me.

I handed her over to Carlisle. He took a hold of her waist.

As Jacob Black neared Bella I took my babies away from Edward and into my arm.

It was time for me to say good-bye to them.

**JACOBS POV**

It pained me to see Bella right now.

Getting on my knees I rested my hand on her forehead.

She felt cooled, not cold like the leeches, but I knew soon she would be.

Her eyes were bug eyed. Her broken jaw and leg were making gruesome noises as they came together, molding back into their regular positions.

I knew soon she would be one of them, and then she would join along the line of the new borns we have to kill, or at least make sure they were controlled.

She stared up at me, her eyes were changing, her eyes that were once brown, were becoming reddened.

Her skin becoming paler and colder.

I came close to her and gave her a kiss on the fore head.

I held my breath a bit as she faintly began to smell like them

"Bella why… why did you have to do this?" I asked her.

"Jacob?" she asked strained. She jerked a little, as if she felt pain deep in her abdomen, twitching

I knew I couldn't stand by her anymore. I stood up and looked at Emmett, who was talking to the little bastard that been the cause of all this…

"There are two of them?" I asked shocked.

**EMMETTS POV**

I kissed my son first, his warm body made my throat burn a bit.

Unlike him my baby girl seemed to have taken more of my traits, her body was cooler then his, but not what you can say cold as mine.

They both stared up at me, curious.

It seemed amazing how well alert they were so quickly.

"Hi." I said to them

I didn't know what else to say.

I really didn't so I just let myself go into a sob.

Finally I become a father, and now I was going to be ripped away from them.

"There are two of them?" I heard Jacob say.

I nodded, as I knew it was time. But I still had to say good-bye to my beautiful Bella.

I handed my twins over to Edward.

"Emmett… what's going on?" he asked me.

I just looked into his eyes and walked away from him, I went to Bella.

Just as I could imagine, her eyes were red like mine should be now.

After all I had just fed on her blood.

I smiled at how beautiful she was becoming. Although she had always seemed beautiful to me.

I knew her transformation wasn't over. I grabbed her chin and brought her lips to mine. Unlike when she was still a human, I pressed hard into them.

"Take care of them Bella. Take care of all of them. I love you." I said to her.

Before I could break any longer I tore away from them, and stood up.

I looked at Jacob and nodded.

"Emmett what are you doing" Alice said

Edward must have read Jacobs thoughts because he tried to stop me.

"No Emmett, Let them take me instead. Bella needs you.. they need you. you're a father!" he said.

Jacob phased and stepped next to the black wolf, with my back to them I stepped between them.

I shook my head at Edward. "No… you're a father." I said to him.

And then I felt a hot stab of pain into my arms as I felt myself being dragged away by the mutts.

"EMMETT!" I heard Bella scream in between her twitching pain.

Carlisle and Alice started running toward us, but I knew that even if they tried, they wouldn't make it in time for me.

I smiled and closed my eyes and I held the image of my twins and Bella in me.

**Few years later**

"Hannah be careful sweetie." Bella says to her daughter.

"But mommy Emmett hit me first!" says the small little girl.

"You hit hard!" complains little Emmett. Unlike his sister who has the strength of their family, he has the speed she lacks.

As Hannah leaps to tackle him. He moves out the way causing Hannah to slam into a nearby tree.

As if she felt nothing, she bounces back up.

Bella giggles as she rests her head on Edward's shoulder.

"Their so much like him." She says.

Edward wraps his arm around her, and plays with her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"You miss him a lot don't you?" he says

"I think about him more now, especially with how much they act and look just like him, more and more." She says.

She continues to stare at her children.

Although they are twins, they both have different characteristics.

Emmett has the speed of his father, the dimples, devilish smile, and hair like Bellas. But he doesn't sparkle like they do.

Hannah doesn't sparkle in the sun either, but she has the strength of her father, the dimples, dark hair, and just like him she has such a curious mind for being such the little dare devil.

It's as if she knew if it should hurt, then she wanted to do it.

Both their vegetarian eating habits were not like that of Bella's.

They didn't mind feeding on blood, but they also had much of a appetite for what any other normal child would like. Blood was more of a crave they would have. It was like their sweet tooth.

"I love you." Edward whispers into Bella's ear.

She smiles and kisses Edward lightly on the lips.

After Emmett had been taken away, it took much of Edward's time to win Bella back.

But since he still loved her, he never gave up on her. After all, Emmett wanted him to take care of them.  
"I know. I love you too." She says to him.

In their distraction she doesn't notice as Hannah runs into the woods, in her distraction of trying to catch a butterfly that had fluttered around her a moment ago.

She stops as the butterfly flies to high for her to reach, she suddenly become aware that she is to far from home.

"Oh oh, mommies going to be angry." She says to herself.

As she turns to leave something catches her attention.

A small wolf peeks at her from behind a tree.

As it realized she has caught him, it tries to hide behind the tree more.

Hannah giggles and walks to it.

"Hi." She says sitting down next to it.

The small wolf, who has always been watching her from afar for years now, licks her hand.

Hannah giggles and pets it behind the ear, she feels a sudden attachment to it.

Grabbing it into her arms she hugs it. She feels like she knows it, as if she has dreamt about him before or something.

"Mommy says I shouldn't be alone in these woods, would you like to come home with me?" she asks it, as she gets up and walks the direction she had came from.

"Haaaanah!" she hears her mommy calling for her.

"That's mommy, you're going to like her. She's not like most people you might see. Neither is the rest of my family." She says.

As she steps back out into the clearing she finds her mommy, daddy Edward whose holding Emmett, grandpa Carlisle, and aunt Alice.

After Esme died Carlisle had, had a hard time trying to get back to the hospital.

But he didn't have it in him, to abandon his patients.

And just like Alice, every day was another challenge to even put on a smile.

Its been some time since Alice has even left the house grounds, she finds it hard to remotely even see anything, that reminds her of a wolf.

With her depression came a toll on her ability to for tell the future, and she has found herself staying in trying to regain it back.

As little Hannah walks to them, holding the small wolf by under its shoulders, she raises it to them.

"Look mommy, can I keep him?" she asks them.

Bella brings her hand to her mouth. Turning to Edward she looks back at the small wolf.

"Hello Seth." She says smiling.

**FIN**

SEMI PART TWO OF THIS STORY NOW UP!

HANNAH'S LIGHT: A PAUL & HANNAH STORY!

LOOK FOR IT IN MY PROFILE


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